ROMAOATHOLICKSl 
mmiki  WITH  THAI  Or 
THP  POPES? 


pen  Lett!       lo  Cardin<i 
Jameb  vj  bbons 


lioN   r 


IS  ROMAN  CATHOLICISM  IN  AMERICA 

IDENTICAL  WITH  THAT  OF 

THE  POPES? 


OR, 


Open  Letters  to  Cardinal 
James  Gibbons 


BY 

THOS.  E.  WATSON 

Author  of  "The  Story  of  France, "  "Napoleon,"  "Life  and  Times  of 

Andrew  Jackson,"  "The  Roman  Catholic  Hierarchy," 

"A  Brief  Survey  of  Pagan  Civilization,"  Etc. 


1914: 

Published  By 

THE  JEFFERSONIAN  PUBLISHING  CO. 

Thomson,  Ga. 


Copyright  by 

THOS.  E.  WATSON 

1914 


Southern  Pqmpbletl 

Rare  Book  ColiectioA 

UNC-Chapel  Hi]] 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

CHAPTER  I. — Roman  Catholic  Hierarchy  Antagonistic  to  the  ■ 
Spirit  of  the  Age;  the  Pope  an  Absurd  Anachronism;  Degre- 
dation  of  Woman  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church;  Discour- 
agement of  Reading  and  Research;  Old  Superstitions; 
Ancient  Conceptions  of  Hell  and  the  Devil;  Death  for  those 
who  Violated  the  Rules  of  the  Priesthood ;  the  Fatal  ilistake 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  About  the  Negro;  the  Church 
Refuses  any  Concessions  to  Socialists;  the  Cardinal's  Decla- 
ration That  the  Roman  Church  Must  Control  Education;  the 
Terrible  Creed  of  the  Church  in  Reference  to  Those  Who 
Quit  It ^ 1 

CHAPTER  n. — Cardinal  Gibbons'  Opposition  to  Philippine  Inde- 
pendence; His  Pretended  and  Real  Position;  Effects  of  Roman 
Catholic  Domination  in  the  Islands;  Revolting  Testimony 
Before  the  Taft  Commission;  Priestly  Despotism  and  Immor- 
ality; Deportation  of  Masons  from  Office;  No  Man's  Wife  Safe 
from  Priestly  Desire;  Rights  of  Pernada  Claimed  by  Some 
of   the    Friars 10 

CHAPTER  III. — Discovery  of  the  Philippine  Archipelago  by 
Magellan;  King  Philip  of  Spain  Sets  About  Converting  the 
Filipinos  to  the  Roman  Catholic  Faith;  the  Friars  Chosen  to 
Conduct  the  Work;  Their  Oaths  of  Chastity  and  Poverty; 
When  Persuasion  and  Argument  Failed,  the  Arbitrament  of 
the  Sword  to  be  Resorted  to,  a  Feature  of  Their  Plan  of 
Converting  the  Islanders;  Terrible  Indictment  of  the  Friars, 
in  President  McKinley's  Message  to  Congress;  Their  Shame- 
less Violation  of  Their  Oaths;  Driven  to  Desperation,  the 
Filipinos  had  Risen  in  Insurrection;  Mr.  Stuntz's  book; 
Universal  Hatred  of  the  Friars;  the  Romanist  Greed  for 
Land  and  Rackrents;  They  Stifle  All  Liberty  of  Thought, 
and  Freedom  of  Speech;  Their  Insatiable  Greed  for  IMoney; 
Their  Immorality;  Testimony  of  Witnesses  Before  the 
Taft    Commission 2  6 

CHAPTER   IV. — -The   Cardinal   Compared   to   an   Owl;    His   Gon- 
dii) 


58914;^ 


iv  CONTEXTS. 

Page 
troA-ersy  With  Dr.  Osier;   The  Holy  Men  of  the  East  and  the 
West  the  Same  in  Purpose  and  in  Results 35 

CHAPTER  V. — What -is  the  Roman  System?  a  Religion,  a  Politi- 
cal Machine,  or  a  Business  Proposition;  the  Lord  Himself, 
Superseded  by  the  Pope;  Traffic  in  Papal  Indulgence;  the 
!\Ianifold  Vocations  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua;  Copies  of  Some 
of  the  Laudatory  Letters  Written  About  Him,  as  Found  in 
Two    Roman    Catholic   ^Magazines 43 

CHAPTER  VI. — Great  Power  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in 
the  United  States;  Its  Persecutions;  No  ^lurder  to  Kill  an 
Ex-communicated  Person;  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
Wreaks  Vengeance  on  the  Huguenots;  Flight  of  the  Sur- 
vivors to  America;  Criticism,  by  a  Virginia  Clergyman,  of 
Position  Taken  in  Another  Letter  to  Cardinal  Gibbons;  the 
Author's  Reply 55 

CHAPTER  VII. — Criticism  of  the  Cardinal's  Article  on  "The 
Church  and  the  Republic;"  the  Cardinal's  Acceptance  of  the 
Doctrine  of  Papal  Infallibility  With  an  Exception  Clause; 
The  Roman  Catholic  Church  Always  Opposed  to  Liberty  of 
the  Press;  Demand  of  the  American  Federation  of  American 
Societies  that  Congress  Abridge  This  Liberty;  Cardinal  Gib- 
bons' Sanction  and  Encouragement  of  That  Demand;  Incon- 
sistency of  His  Conduct  With  the  Views  Expressed  by  Him 
in  The  North  American  Review 61 

CHAPTER  VIII. — :\Iutilation  of  Choir  Boys  a  Practice  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church;  the  Practice  a  Felony,  and  Punish- 
able by  Law;  Girls  Attending  Convent  Schools  Given  Medi- 
cinal Preparation  to  Prevent  Menstruation;  Horrible  Results 
of  this  Fiendish  Cruelty;  Persecution- of  the  Author  by 
Cardinal  Gibbons;  Controversion  of  the  Cardinal's  State- 
ment in  The  North  American  Review,  That  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  Prefers  the  American  System  of  Govern- 
ment to  Any   Other 68 

CHAPTER  IX. — Natural  for  Men  and  Women  to  :\Iate;  Traces 
of  it  From  Childhood  Days  to  ^Maturity;  the  Curious  Lock 
Invented  to  Keep  Married  Women  Chaste;  Man  the  Only 
Living  Creature  That  Uses  Sensuality  for  Pleasure  Alone; 
the  Effort  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  to  Condemn  Healthy 


CONTENTS.  V 

Page 

Young  People  to  Perpetual  Virginity  Unnatural;  Old  Maids 
and  Bachelors  Looked  on  With  Disfavor;  Roman  Catholic 
Priests  Should  Marry;  the  Example  of  Judas  Iscariot,  Who 
Was  Unmarried,  Followed  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Priests..  .    76 

CHAPTER  X. — The  Roman  Catholic  Priests  Imitators  of  the 
Priests  of  Maia  and  Those  of  Bacchus;  the  Confessional  and 
the  Convent  Introduced  to  Afford  Them  a  Substitute  for  Mar- 
riage; the  Keeping  of  Fire  Made  a  Religious  Function;  the 
Romans  Copy  the  Albans;  the  Six  Vested  Virgins  Difficult  to 
Obtain;  Evil  Effects  of  Celibacy;  Uraldric's  Story  of  What 
Was  Found  in  the  Fish  Ponds;  Bernard's  Views  on  Celibacy; 
The  University  of  Oxford's  Complaint;  the  Roman  Clergy 
in  Scotland  as  Pictured  by  McCrie 84 

CHAPTER  XI. — Nonsensical  Ideas  of  the  Early  Religious 
Zealots;  Their  Absurd  Methods  of  Curbing  Their  Natural 
Inclinations;  the  Fatal  Error  Made  in  Ordaining  Negroes 
to  the  Priesthood 90 

CHAPTER  XII. — Quotations  From  the  Writings  of  Blanco  White, 
a  Spanish  Priest,  and  From  the  "Confession  of  a  French 
Catholic  Priest,"  Showin#  the  Wickedness  and  Immorality 
of  the  Clergy  in  Those  Countries 99 

CHAPTER  XIII. — The  Evil  of  Auricular  Confession;  the  Priests' 
Substitution  for  Marriage  Far  Worse;  Religious  Societies; 
the  "Blessed  Creatures;"  Qualifications  of  a  Priest  to  Become 
a  Member  of  One  of  These  Religious  Societies;  Penalties 
Imposed  on  "Blessed  Creatures"  Who  are  Faithless  to  Their 
Vows;  How  Their  Scruples  as  to  Joining  These  Organiza- 
tions  are   Overcome 110 

CHAPTER  XIV. — Extracts  From  the  Book  by  Rev.  Dr.  Justin 
D.  Fulton,  Entitled  "Why  Priests  Should  Wed;"  Initiation 
of  the  Priests  and  "Blessed  Creatures;"  Insignia  of  the 
"Blessed  Creatures;"  Places  and  Arrangmeents  to  Perform 
Special  Obligations;   Definition  of  a  Romanist 121 

CHAPTER  XV. — Horrible  Fate  of  Some  of  Those  Selected  to  be 
"Blessed  Creatures;"  Wickedness  of  Priests  in  Nunneries  and 
Convents;    Testimony  of  Henrietta  Caracciolo 131 

CHAPTER  XVI. — Henrietta  Caraccioilo's  Descriptions  of  the 
Convent  in  Naples;  Her  Experiences;  Her  Escape;  the 
Number  of  Children  Borne  by  Nuns ' 13  7 


CAN  THE  LEOPARD  CHANGE  ITS  SPOTS  ? 


A  Series  of  Open  Letters  to  Cardinal 
James  Gibbons. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Roman  Catholic  Hierarchy  Antagonistic  to  the  Spirit  of  the  Age; 
the  Pope  an  Absurd  Anachronism;  Degradation  of  Woman  by 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church;  Discouragement  of  Reading  and 
Research;  Old  Superstitions;  Ancient  Conceptions  of  Hell  and 
the  Devil;  Death  for  those  who  Violated  the  Rules  of  the  Priest- 
hood; the  Fatal  Mistake  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  About 
the  Negro;  the  Church  Refuses  any  Concessions  to  Socialists; 
the  Cardinal's  Declaration  That  the  Roman  Church  Must  Control 
Education;  the  Terrible  Creed  of  the  Church  in  Reference  to 
Those  who  Quit  It. 

DO  YOU  have  any  true  conception  of  the  manner  in  which 
your  hierarchy  is  antagonizing  the  Spint  of  the  Age? 
Does  a  feeling  come  over  you  sometimes,  that  your 
Papa  is  an  absurd  anachronism^  hiughed  at  by  the  intelligent, 
used  by  the  designing,  and  secretl}-  despised  by  the  very  cour- 
tiers who  pay  him  outward  reverence  ? 

Do  you  ever  feel  that  the  world  has  really  passed  you  by; 
and  that  your  only  assets  now  are.  inherited  superstitions,  the 
ignorance  of  the  populace,  and  the  cowardice  of  the  politi- 
cians ? 

*  *  ^:  H:  5-1:  *  :|:  H=  *  H: 

You  say  that  the  most  refined,  cultured  and  talented  white 
woman  shall  not  have  the  privilege  to  vote. 

In  the  next  breath  you  say  that  the  most  ignorant,  brutal 
and  criminal  negro  shall  help  to  control  the  country  with  his 
ballot. 

Thus  you  set  yourself  against  the  Spirit  of  the  Age. 

You  make  no  concessions  to  the  world-wide  demand  for  a 
larger  sphere  for  women.  Your  church  is  the  Bourbon  of 
ecclesiasticism ;  you  leani  nothing  and  you  forget  nothing. 

Your  priests  are  like  a  lot  of  owls,  perched  on  the  dead 
limbs  of  monkish  lore,  solemnly  hooting  as  though  it  were 
night,  when  the  blaze  of  day  is  all  about  you. 


2  POPERY  SHOAVX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

You  enslave  the  ■women :  you  allow  them  no  voice  in  the 
affairs  of  the  church.  Woman's  duty  is  to  labor  and  obey, 
gather  ducats  for  the  clerg}^,  and  to  compensate  priests  for 
celibacy. 

In  short,  your  church's  conception  of  a  woman  is  that  she 
shall  minister  unto  man,  be  his  servant,  be  his  instrument  of 
carnal  pleasure,  be  his  child-bearer  and  pack-mule,  with  no 
life  of  her  own.  and  no  right  to  appeal  against  man's  inhu- 
manity, lust  and  greed. 

The  lower  down  in  the  scale  you  can  keep  her,  the  more 
useful  she  is  to  you :  hence,  your  church,  during  all  the  ages 
never  had  a  word  to  say  for  oppressed  woman-hood. 

Your  Cardinal  Logue  voiced  your  church's  sentiments 
when,  at  the  Canadian  Congress,  he  declared  that  "it  is  a  grand 
sight  to  see  a  wonuin  at  the  iv ash-tub.'''' 

And  that's  where  your  church  would  keep  women  if  it 
could — at  the  wash-tub,  slaving  for  a  gang  of  idle,  voluptuous, 
hypocritical  priests ! 

You  deny  freedom  to  wives  when  their  husbands  have  out- 
raged them  in  everj^  way  possible,  when  they  have  had  to  bear 
children  to  habitual  drunkards,  when  they  have  been  beaten 
and  kicked  about  the  home,  like  so  manj'  dogs. 

You  say  that  the  wife  must  endure  every  ignomin}'.  every 
•  pollution,  every  wrong,  rather  than  seek  her  freedom. 

Having  made  a  mistake  in  her  marriage,  she  must  bear 
the  intolerable  yoke  to  the  very  end  of  her  life. 

She  must  never  he  given  another  chance. 

The  cwp  of  hafp'iness  is  for  others — not  for  her. 

Such  is  your  position,  Cardinal;  and  in  this  respect,  as  in 
the  others,  you  are  vainly  combating  the  Spirit  of  the  Age. 
^'^'■^^^^^^^^ 

In  all  other  churches,  the  widest  reading  and  research  are 
encouraged. 

All  other  churches  are  broadenino-  and  liberalizine; — the 
constant  tendency  being  to  subordinate  mere  dogma  to  essen- 
tial truth.  In  every  church  but  yours,  the  trend  is  towards 
the  humanities,  charities,  equities,  and  common  sense. 

^fen  don't  believe  in  the  things  which  were  accepted  in  the 
Dark  Ages. 

"When  your  church  had  full  sAving,  Night  settled  down 
upon  the  world. 

Men  believed  priests  could  cast  out  devils,  work  miracles, 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  3 

grant  pass-ports  to  heaven,  release  souls  from  purgatory,  and 
curse  the  heretic  to  his  earthly  and  his  eternal  perdition. 

Those  were  the  days  of  the  weir-wolf,  the  succubus,  the 
gnome,  the  witch,  the  ghost,  the  enchanted  sword,  the  unicorn 
and  the  dragon. 

You  will  remember,  Cardinal,  that,  in  those  Medieval  Ages, 
your  church  buried  the  treasures  of  pagan  literature,  snuffed 
out  the  lights  of  pagan  genius,  stifled  the  voice  of  human 
Reason,  and  measured  Truth  by  the  rule  of  Faith. 

Those  were  the  days  when  the  heavens  grew  dark,  if  your 
popes  frowned:  the  laws  of  nature  were  suspended,  if  your 
priests  needed  a  miracle ;  and  the  minds  of  men  revelled  in 
senility,  if  your  church  grew  childish. 

Those  were  the  clays  when  the  sun,  more  obliging  to 
Charlemagne  than  to  Joshua,  stood  still  for  three  days,  in 
order  that  the  Christians  might  overtake  and  slaughter  the 
Saracens,  on  the  banks  of  the  Ebro,  near  Saragossa,  in  Spain. 

Those  were  the  days  when  the  w^alls  of  Pampeluna  were 
thrown  down,  in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  Charles  the  Great, 
who  immediately  took  the  city,  and  baptized  all  the  Saracens 
that  he  did  not  kill,  killing  all  those  that  he  did  not  baptize. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  when  this  great  Emperor  died, 
the  sun  and  moon  grew  dark;  and  a  wooden  bridge  which  he 
had  built  set  itself  on  fire,  and  perished  of  spontaneous  com- 
bustion. 

We  know  of  a  surety  that  these  marvels  happened,  for 
Archbishop  Turpin  was  present  and  witnessed  the  same; 
whereupon  he  reduced  the  facts  to  writing,  in  order  that  the 
record  of  these  things  might  come  down  to  us — little  as  we 
poor  worms  deserve  the  consideration  of  so  worthy  an  Arch- 
bishop as  Turpin  is  known  to  have  been. 

Those  were  the  days  when  monkish  literature  treasured 
the  story  that  Mahomet  was  indeed  and  in  truth  a  Roman 
Catholic  Cardinal;  and  that  he  wickedly  invented  and  set  up 
a  new  religion  of  his  own,  at  the  instigation  of  the  de\dl  and 
his  wounded  vanity,  being  provoked  "because  he  failed  in  his 
design  of  being  elected  pope." 

As  was  well  known  in  the  Middle  Ages.  Mahomet  came  to 
a  shameful  end,  in  that,  having  gorged  himself  on  food  and 
wine,  he  fell  asleep  on  a  dunghill,  was  attacked  by  a  litter  of 
pigs  and  suffocated — for  which  reason  all  Mohammedans 
loathe  pigs  to  this  very  day. 

Was  the  world  flat?     It  was. 


4  POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

The  church  said  so.  and  that  was  enough.  Besides,  there 
was  the  unanswerable  argument  contained  in  Scripture.  Christ 
was  to  come  again  in  glory,  and  all  men  were  to  se?  Him :  and 
how  could  all  men  see  Him^  unless  the  earth  is  fiat  I 

At  that  time,  did  the  priests  seize  a  rooster,  formally  try 
him.  and  burn  him  to  death  at  Basle?  They  did.  What  for? 
Because  the  rooster  had  laid  an  egg.  Clearly  he  was  a  wizard, 
and  could  not  be  suffered  to  liye. 

In  those  fine  old  times  of  papal  domination  men  had  the 
p.ower  to  cause  storms  at  sea,  and  blizzards  on  land.  A  wicked 
jDerson,  with  an  Eyil  Eye.  could  bring  on  a  cattle  plague,  at 
pleasure;  and  could  send  misfortune  upon  inofi'ensiye  people 
by  merely  looking  at  them.  Imps  of  Satan  haunted  every 
mortaFs  footsteps;  and  the  Devil  himself  often  appeared, 
intrusively,  and  as  boldly  as  though  he  were  not  the  least  bit 
afraid  of  the  Almighty. 

Epileptics  were  possessed  of  devils,  the  insane  were  fami- 
liar with  demons,  and  the  necromancer  was  abroad.  Science 
was  Black  Magic,  and  woe  unto  the  wight  who  could  cure  the 
ailment  which  defied  the  relic  and  the  Saint.  Only  a  sorcerer 
could  do  what  the  miracle-mongers  failed  to  do — and  to  burn 
a  sorcerer  was  an  act  pleasing  to  the  Lord. 

Those  were  glorious  old  times,  weren't  they.  Cardinal? 

Those  were  the  times  when  whatever  a  monk  said,  went. 
All  other  men  were  on  their  knees,  mentally,  and  the  depth  of 
the  abjectl}?^  credulous  was  the  height  of  the  gloriously  pious. 

Roger  Bacon  spent  IJ:  years  in  a  dungeon,  because  he  had 
delved  into  the  secrets  of  nature.  He  learned  some  things  the 
priests  did  not  know,  and  was  therefore  a  magician,  a  wricked, 
irreverent  person.  He  had  doubted  the  omniscience  of  the 
church,  a  grievous  sin^  and  grievously  was  he  punished. 

Galileo  discovered  that  the  earth  moved,  flatly  contradict- 
ing Joshua  who  had  commanded  the  sun  to  stand  still.  Galileo 
had  doubted,  he  had  dared  to  think,  and  he  was  therefore 
guilty  of  grievous  sin. 

Grievously  was  he  punished,  until  he  was  made  to  bring  his 
mind  into  professed  conformity  to  that  of  Joshua.  • 

Bruno,  likeAvise,  had  his  doubts  and  irreverences:  he  was 
guilty  of  Modernism ;  and  was.  therefore,  cut  off  from  com- 
munion, fellowship,  and  mercy,  perishing  at  the  burning  stake 
— on  the  s])ot  where  his  monument  )wiv  towers,  and  looks  in 
upon  the  rooms  of  that  ovt-of-date  oicl,  the  Italian  Pope/ 

In  those  old  days,  Cardinal,  your  theologians  fairly  gloated 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  5 

over  the  horrors  of  hell:  they  rioted  in  the  enjoyment  of  such 
an  Inferno  as  the  gloomy  imagination  of  Dante  could  not  sur- 
pass. Never  did  any  religious  men  derive  such  infinite  joy 
from  such  a  perfectly  hideous  hell,  as  your  priests  found  in 
theirs. 

They  pictured  the  Devil  as  a  Monster  seated  on  a  red-hot 
gridiron,  bound  by  red-hot  chains,  but  with  hands  free,  and  an 
appetite  for  sinners  that  could  not  be  satisfied.  Amid  his  own 
screams  of  agony,  he  crunched  between  his  teeth,  like  grapes, 
the  souls  of  damned  mortals,  and  then  sucked  these  damned 
souls  down  his  blazing  throat. 

Demons  with  red-hot  pincers  and  hooks  caught  hold  of  the 
damned  souls  of  mortals  and  plunged  them  first  into  fire,  and 
then  into  ice. 

Some  of  the  damned  souls  were  hung  up  by  their  tongues 
over  the  flames,  and  others  were  sawn  asunder.  Some  were 
gnawed  by  snakes,  and  others  beaten  on  the  anvil  and  welded 
together.  Some  of  these  souls  were  boiled  and  then  strained 
through  a  cloth ;  others  were  twined  in  the  embraces  of  flaming 
devils. 

No  wonder  the  manhood,  the  intelligence,  the  independence 
were  scared  out  of  the  ignorant  under-man,  when  the  conse- 
crated priests  of  God  were  threatening  them  with  such  terrors. 

That  hell  and  its  terrors  Avere  not  made  for  those,  only,  who 
stole,  who  robbed,  who  forged,  who  ravished  and  who  mur- 
dered :  that  hell  and  all  its  terrors  yawned  for  every  mortal 
who  defied  the  rules  of  the  priesthood ! 

]\ren  and  women  were  put  to  death,  and  sent  to  hell,  for 
not  fasting  on  the  days  set  by  the  church. 

]Men  and  women  were  put  to  death,  and  sent  to  hell,  for 
reading  the  Bible  without  the  supervision  of  a  priest. 

Men  and  women  were  put  to  death,  and  sent  to  hell,  for 
having  a  Bible  in  their  possession. 

Men  and  women  were  put  to  death,  and  sent  to  hell,  for 
not  taking  off  their  hats  and  bowing  to  a 'graven  image,  set 
up  beside  the  road,  or  in  the  street. 

Those  were  glorious  old  times,  weren't  they.  Cardinal  ? 

Cardinal  we've  outgrown  all  that.  Your  church  did  not 
help  us  do  it,  either. 

We  did  it  in  spite  of  yoriv  cJivrch. 
.  Cardinal,  when  you  struggle  to  again  subdue  men's  minds, 
you  are  simply  opposing  the  light  of  the  20th  Century  and 
the  Spirit  of  the  Age. 


6  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

Cardinal  you  are  making  a  fatal  mistake  about  the  negro; 
and  here  again  j'ou  are  throwing-  yourself  against  the  Spirit 
of  the  Age. 

You  are  receiving  the  hlack  iiuiii  into  your  church  on  a 
footing  of  social  equality  with  the  whites. 

Not  only  are  you  receiving  the  black  man  as  an  equal,  but 
you  are  admitting  him  to  the  priesthood. 

Now,  what  is  a  priest  ? 

According  to  your  own  book,  "Faith  of  Our  Fathers.*'  the 
priest  is  superior  to  the  angels.    You  say : 

''To  the  carnal  eye,  the  priest  looks  like  other  men:  but  to 
the  eye  of  faith,  he  is  exalted  above  the  angels,  because  he 
exercises  powers  not  given  to  the  angels."  *  *  *  "The 
priest  is  the  Ambassador  of  God,"  etc. 

To  the  carnal  eje,  that  which  looks  like  a  man  is  more  than 
apt  to  be  a  man.  To  the  carnal  eje^  that  which  looks  like  a 
tad-pole,  is  vpry  apt  to  be  a  tad-pole.  To  the  carnal  eye.  that 
which  looks  like  a  glass  of  wine,  is  very  apt  to  be  a  glass  of 
wine. 

But  when  "the  eye  of  faith"  comes  along,  it  may  play  the 
mischief  with  common  sense  and  the  realities. 

That  which  looks  like  a  man,  may  not  be  a  man.  He  may 
be  an  angel — a  bull-necked,  pop-eyed,  pot-gutted  angel,  with 
a  dew-lap  under  his  chin  and  a  fold  on  the  back  of  his  neck. 

That  which  seems  to  be  a  tad-pole,  may  not  be  anything  of 
the  sort.  "The  eye  of  faith"  may  require  us  to  insult  our 
common  sense,  and  to  see  in  the  tad-pole  a  mermaid,  a  fairy,  a 
"spirit." 

That  which  appears  to  be  a  glass  of  wine,  may  be  some- 
thing wholly  different.  "The  eye  of  faith"  may  require  us  to 
see  the  blood  of  Christ;  and  we  must  see  that  when  the  priest 
drinks  this  apparent  wine  he  is.  really,  drinking  blood. 

Therefore,  whea  we  look  upon  a  priest,  we  must  be  pre- 
l^ared  to  distrust  the  evidence  of  our  senses.  "To  the  carnal 
eye,"  he  may  seem  to  need  a  bath  and  some  clean  clothes:  he 
may  seem  over- fed  and  over  bibulous:  he  may  have  a  low, 
sensual  face:  he  may  have  repulsively  coarse  manners:  he  may 
be  vulgar  in  his  discourse,  and  immoral  in  his  mode  of  living: 
but  all  of  this  is  mere  optical  delusion,  due  to  the  untrust- 
vrorthiness  of  "the  carnal  eye." 

The  eye  of  faith  beholds  the  same  priest  and,  presto !  all 
is  chanered. 


POPERY  SHOAVN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  7 

We  see,  not  a  besotted  man,  but  a  spiritual  being  ''more 
exalted  than  the  angels." 

In  this  i3articular,  Cardinal,  you  are  against  the  Spirit  of 


AND     THIS     ONE,     IS     BILL     O'CONNELL,      CARDINAL     PRINCE      OF 
BOSTON.       BILL    IS    A    VIRGIN.      BILL    LOOKS    IT. 


the  Aage — especially  when  you  ask  that  "the  eye  of  faith" 
must  see  an  angel  in  a  nigger. 


8  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

Cardinal,  your  church  refuses  to  make  any  concession  to 
the  Socialists. 

There,  again,  you  set  yourself  against  the  Spirit  of  the  Ar/c. 

Eyery  goyernment  on  earth  has  made  concessions  to 
Socialism,  and  the  end  is  not  yet. 

The  Socialists  no  longer  demand  uniyersal  communism. 
They  have  repudiated  the  men  who  would  resort  to  violence 
and  to  revolutionary  methods. 

Therefore,  the}^  now  stand  squarely  for  the  Rights  of  jMan, 
and  not  for  a  general  overturn  of  governments. 

This  being  so,  they  come  within  arm's  length  of  every 
other  body  of  citizens  that  is  laboring  for  the  uplift  of 
humanity. 

Yet,  this  is  the  time  your  church  chooses  to  make  the  most 
savage  assaults  upon  Socialists,  This  is  the  time  when  your 
churchmen  denounce  the  Socialists  as  mad  dogs  who  ought 
to  be  stopped  with  bullets. 

Cardinal,  tvhen  and  where  did  your  church  ever  strike  a 
hlow  for  the  under  dog,  ever  esjyouse  the  cause  of  the  yohe- 
heaHng  serf,  ever  fight  the  hattle  of  the  shackled  slave?  ^yhen 
was  your  church  ever  anything  hut  the  cdly  of  the  powerful 
who  oppressed  the  poor,  and  rohhed  honest  lahor  of  the  pro- 
duct of  its  toil? 

In  siding  against  the  working  class  today,  your  church  is 
true  to  its  detestable  record. 

But  you  are  pitting  yourself  against  the  Spirit  of  the  Age. 

^:  -):  ♦  ^  H^  ^  ^  Hi  ^  Hi 

Cardinal,  you  say  that  the  Roman  church  must  control 
education,  "even  to  Avar  and  bloodshed." 

Your  contention  is  that  the  child  shall  l^e  enslaved  by  a 
priest;  and  shall  be  brought  up  to  be  Romanist  first,  and 
American  citizen  next. 

Last  year  when  you  were  interviewed,  and  asked  to  name 
the  great  dangers  to  our  future,  you  did  not  mention  the 
^Aliite  Slave  Traffic,  the  Child  Labor  Problem,  or  the  Drink 
Evil.  No;  you  omitted  those,  but  mentioned  our  public 
schools. 

Cardinal,  how  do  j-ou  figure  out  that  our  public  schools 
are  more  dangerous  to  the  country  than  are  the  exploiters  of 
helpless  women  and  children — than  are  the  saloons  whose 
natural  tendency  is  to  undo  the  good  work  of  the  Home,  the 
School,  and  the  Church? 

Cardinal,   do  you   know   that   our   public   schools   furnish 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  9 

comparatively  few  criminals  to  the  chain-gangs  and  to  the 
penitentiaries,  while  your  parochial  schools  are  most  prolihc 
feeders  of  the  prisons? 

"By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them/' 

**        *        *'*        *        *        *        *        *        * 

Cardinal,  there  was  republished  in  France,  (in  1901) 
TheoJogle  de  Glermmit  by  Rev.  Father  Vincent.  The  book 
was  issued  with  episcopal  approbation.  It  contains  this  terri- 
ble passage :  ,    ,  ^ 

-The  church  has  received  from  God  the  power  to  reprove 
those  who  wander  from  the  truth,  not  only  by  spiritual,  but 
by  corporal  penalties,  such  as  imprisonment,  flagellaUon, 
mutilation,  AND  DEATHS     (Emphasis,  mine.) 

Do  von  hold  to  that  terrible  creed.  Cardinal  i 

Do  Vou  claim  that  your  church  has  the  right  to  imprison, 
the  right  to  flog',  the  right  to  cut  oif  arms  and  legs,  the  right 

to  murder? 

Such  has  always  been  the  creed  of  your  Popes;  such  has 
always  been  their  practise.  ,     .^     v     i  o 

Do  you  believe  in  persecution  to  the  death,  Cardinal^ 

And  what  do  you  mean  by  "war  and  bloodshed,  m  refer- 
ence to  our  public  schools?  .  r^     V 

It  is  about  time  that  you  made  your  meaning  clear,  Cardi- 
nal Gibbons. 


<=r^^V    TKT^    VIRGIX    WITH    CARE.      HE    GOT    HIS    BULL    NECK    AND 
SCAN    THIS    M^G1^     N^N^    ^^^^^    ^^    DIETING    ON    CRUSTS. 

CRACKERS.   AND  VINEGAR. 


10  POPERY  SHOAVX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Cardinal  Gibbons'  Opposition  to  Philippine  Independence;  His  Pre- 
tended and  Real  Position;  Effects  of  Roman  Catholic  Domination 
in  the  Islands;  Revolting  Testimony  Before  the  Taft  Commis- 
sion; Priestly  Despotism  and  Immorality;  Deportation  of  Masons 
from  Office;  No  Man's  Wife  Safe  from  Priestly  Desire;  Rights 
of  Pernada  Claimed  by  Some  of  the  Friars. 

IF  you  are  so  vehemently  opposed  to  the   freedom  of  the 
Philippine  Islanders,  why  were  you  dumb  when  the  Demo- 
cratic Convention  at  Baltimore  (1912)  was  proposing  to  ask 
votes  for  its  Xational  candidates  upon  the  ground  that  the 
Democratic  Party  favored  the  Independence  of  those  unfortu- 
nate people? 

Why  were  you  silent  during  the  campaign  Avhich  resulted 
in  Democratic  success? 

You  waited  until  the  Democrats  had  triumphed,  and  then 
you  virtually  warned  them  not  to  honor  their  own  campaign 
pledges. 

Is  that  honorable^  my  Prince? 

Is  there,  in  fact,  any  such  word  as  Honor  in  the  lexicon 
of  the  political  organisation  which  vou  are  pleased  to  call  vour 
"Church?" 

In  your  declaration  against  the  Filipinos,  you  are  too 
shrewd  to  express  your  real  sentiments.  You  are  ciuming 
enough  to  pretend  to  believe  that  those  cruelly  maltreated 
people  should  have  the  right  to  govern  themselves  in  their  own 
way,  sojne  time  in  the  future. 

You  are  too  cunning  to  tell  the  American  people  that  your 
papal  machine  never  grants  liberty  .of  its  own  accord.  You 
dare  not  confess  that  you  intend  to  always  oppose  Philippine 
independence.  Yet,  that  is  exactly  where  you  stand.  Cardinal, 
You  mean  to  have  this  Republic  do,  permanently^  what  the 
Spanish  monarchy  did  for  you  several  hundred  years.  Just 
as  Spain  held  the  Islands  down,  while  Rome  robbed  them,  you 
intend  that  this  Republic  shall  continue  to  do  what  it  is  now 
doing — hold  the  Filipinos  down  while  monks  and  friars  des- 
poil them  of  their  lands,  their  labor,  their  women ^  and  their 
liberty. 

For  upwards  of  400  years,  your  ''church''  had  been  domi- 
nant in  those  afflicted  Islands.     Popes,  priests,  monks,  and 


POPEKY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  11 

friars  had  been  supreme.  Church  and  State  belonged  to  Rome. 
"With  what  result? 

The  same  old  result  that  cursed  France.  Engiand,  Ireland, 
Spain,  Portugal,  Italy,  Mexico,  Cuba,  South  and  Central 
America.  Wherever  Rome  is  supreme  HELL  moves  in,  and 
stays ! 

If  we  wish  to  know  the  horrors  of  Rome-rule  in  England, 
we  study  the  standard  histories  which  reveal  it — reading  by 
the  light  of  the  fires  that  burned  the  patriot,  the  Christian, 
the  Martyr,  We  read  it  in  the  ghastly  annals  of  the  reign  of 
Bloody  Mary:  the  diabolism  of  the  Monasteries  as  exposed  by 
Henry  nil.;  the  Excommunication  which  anathematized, 
with  Rome's  devilish  curse,  the  Great  Charter,  of  our  liber- 
ties: the  Satanic  intolerance  and  atrocity  which  sent  men  and 
women  to  horrible  torture  and  death  because  they  could  not 
believe  that  a  dozen  Latin  words,  mumbled  by  an  ignorant 
priest  could  change  wheat  bread  into  the  body  of  Christ. 

As  to  France,  Spain,  Portugal,  Italy — the  records  are  com- 
plete, familiar,  damning.  In  vain.  Cardinal,  will  your  satel- 
lites forge,  erase,  mutilate  and  otherwise  falsify  those  histori- 
cal records:  they  are  there — complete,  familiar,  damning. 

In  the  Philippine  Islands,  it  was  the  Commission  appointed 
by  this  U.  S.  Government  which  conducted  the  examination, 
heard  the  witnesses  under  oath,  took  down  the  testimony,  and 
reported  it  to  our  Congress. 

William  Howard  Taft  was  President  of  the  investigating 
Commission.  It  was  he  who  sent  the  official  Report  to  our 
President.  William  ]McKinley.  (The  Re^^ort  is  known  as 
Senate  document  No.  190;  2d  session.  oi'Ah.  Congress.) 

Cardinal,  that  terrible  Report  has  been  noticed  in  books, 
in  pamphlets,  in  newspapers,  and  in  speeches;  but  it  has  never 
been  contradicted  by  oral,  or  written  testimony. 

Not  a  single  Romanist  friar,  bishop,  arch-bishop,  or  lay 
officer  has  ever  testified  that  the  witnesses  who  made  out  the 
frightful  case  against  Rome,  swore  falsely.  The  Romanists  in 
the  Islands  had  every  opportunity  to  rebut  the  evidence,  and 
the  most  powerful  motives  to  do  so;  but  not  one  availed  him- 
self of  the  privilege. 

In  the  face  of  that  argument,  the  Romanists  were  mute! 

To  understand  fully  what  that  arraignment  was,  we  must 
read  the  official  record  of  the  evidence.  I  have  therefore 
rselected  such   portions  of  the   iincontradictdble  testimony   as 


12  POPERY  SHOWX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

will  give  a  fair  conception  of  what  Roman  Catholicism,  dunng 
centuries  of  control.,  had  clone  for  this  people. 

THE  lALAIORAUTY  OF  THE  PRIESTS. 
Testimony  of  Senor  Don  Felipe  Calderon. 

(This  gentleman  testified  that  he  was  born  in  the  Philippine 
Islands  and  had  lived  there  the  thirty  years  of  his  life,  less  a  period 
of  eight  months  when  he  made  a  few  trips  to  the  British  posses- 
sions. Practically  all  of  this  time  had  been  spent  in  the  city  of 
Manila,  where,  as  he  states,  "The  friar  is  intimately  connected  with 
all  the  social,  political  and  other  life.") 

Question  by  Taft  Coniniission:  Now,  as  to  the  morality  of  the 
friars,  have  you  had  much  opportunity  to  observe  as  to  this? 

A.  Considerable.  From  my  earliest  youtii.  With  respect  to 
their  morality  in  general,  it  was  such  a  conuiion  thing  to  see  child- 
ren of  friars  that  no  one  ever  paid  any  attention  to  it  or  thoul^ht  of 
it,  and  so  depraved  had  the  i>eopIe  become  in  tliis  regard  that  the 
women  who  were  the  mistresses  of  friars  really  felt  great  pride  in 
it  and  had  no  compunction  in  speaking  of  it.  So  general  had  this 
thing  become  that  it  may  be  said  that  even  now  the  rule  is  for  a 
friar  to  have  a  mistress  and  children,  and  he  who  has  not  is  the 
rare  exception,  and  if  it  is  desired  that  I  give  names  I  could  cite 
right  noAv  100  children  of  friars. 

Q.     In  IManila  or  in  the  provinces? 

A.     In  ^Manila  and  in  the  provinces.      Everywhere. 

Q.  Are  the  friars  living  in  the  islands  still  who  have  had  those 
children? 

A.  Yes,  and  I  can  give  their  names  if  necessary,  and  I  can  give 
the  names  of  the  children,  too.  Beginning  «ith  myself,  my  mother 
is  the  daughter  of  a  Fi-anciscan  friar.  I  do  not  dishonor  myself  bv 
saying  this,  because  my  family  begins  with  myself. 

Q.     I  will  be  much  obliged  for  a  list. 

(Witness  here  produced  long  list  of  such  children.) 

^  ^  ^  *ii  ♦  :H  if;  :H  ^  :!: 

Q.  It  was  not  a  general  licentiousness  on  the  part  of  thr 
friars? 

A.  It  was  a  general  licentiousness,  because,  as  I  have  said,  the 
exception  as  to  the  rule  among  the  friars  was  not  to  have  a  mistress 
and  be  the  father  of  children  by  her.  The  friar  «ho  was  not  mixed 
up  with  a  woman  in  some  way  or  other  was  like  a  snowbird  in 
summer. 

Q.    That  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  immoralitv  of  the  friars 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  13 

is  not  the  chief  ground  of  the  hostility  of  the  people  against  them, 
would  it  not? 

A.  That  is  not,  by  any  means,  because  the  moral  sense  of  the 
whole  people  here  has  been  absolutely  perverted.  So  frequent  were 
these  infractions  of  the  moral  laws  on  the  part  of  th  friars  that 
really  no  one  ever  earetl  or  took  any  notice  of  them;  and  this 
acquiescence  on  the  part  of  the  people  was  imposed  upon  them;  for 
woe  be  unto  him  who  should  ever  murmur  anything  aganist  the 
friars,  and  even  the  young  Filipino  women  had  their  senses  per- 
verted, because  when  attending  school  they  had  often  and  often  seen 
the  friars  come  in  to  speak  to  their  openly  avowed  daughters,  who 
often  were  their  omi  playmates. — Pages  139-140. 

THE  CKIELTY  OF  THE  PRIESTS. 

Testimony  of  Jose  Rederigiies   Infante. 

(This  witness  is  a  licentiate  of  law,  though  not  practicing  the 
profession,  who  has  lived  all  his  life  in  the  islands,  being  educated 
at  the  University  of  Santo  Thomas.  At  the  time  the  following 
questions  were  asked  he  gave  his  age  as  3  6.  With  reference  to  the 
taking  of  statistics  for  the  Spanish  government  by  the  friars  the 
following  was  asked:) 

Question  by  Talt  Commission.  So,  to  swell  the  taxes,  they 
robbed  the  cradle  and  the  grave? 

A.  They  augmented  the  cradle,  but  diminished  the  grave.  The 
friars  had  a  system  of  blackmail,  by  which  they  held  the  rod  over 
all  the  citizens  of  a  pueblo,  about  whose  habits  and  closet  skeletons 
they  learned  through  making  little  girls  of  from  5  to  6  and  7 
years  of  age,  who  could  barely  speak  and  who  were  naturally  and 
must  have  been  sinless,  come  to  the  confessional  and  relate  to  them 
everything  that  they  knew  of  the  private  life  in  their  own  homes 
and  in  places  that  they  might  visit. — Page  14  6. 

Q.  What  do  you  know  about  the  morality  or  immorality  of  the 
friars? 

A.  Too  much.  I  have  nothing  to  add  to  what  Senor  Calderon 
says,  save  to  cite  some  more  names. 

Q.  Have  you  known  a  good  many  young  women  and  young  men 
who  were  the  reputed  daughters  and  sons  of  friars? 

A.  I  have  known  a  great  many  and  now  have  living  on  my 
estate  six  children  of  a  friar. 

Q.      Were  all  the  friars  (priests)  licentious? 

A.     I  believe  that  they  all  are. 


14  POPEEY  SHOWX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

Q.  Do  you  think  that  was  the  ground  of  hostility  against  the 
friars? 

A.  No,  sir:  Csesarism  was.  Everything  was  dependent  upon 
them,  and  I  may  say  that  even  the  process  of  eating  was  under  their 
supervision.  Xaturally^  their  iiiunorality  had  a  slight  influence  in 
the  case,  but  it  became  so  conunon  that  it  passed  unnoticed. — Pages 
146-147. 


Q.  Charges  have  been  made  against  the  friars  that  they  caused 
deportations  of  Filipinos.     Do  you  know  of  such  instances? 

A.  In  my  own  province  it  was  seen  that  the  large  majority  of 
the  friars,  and  more  especially  the  now  deceased  friar,  Antonio 
Brabo,  had  great  influence  in  the  deportation  of  many  influential 
citizens,  as  also  in  the  incarceration  of  several  of  them  in  order  to 
subsequently  have  them  released  so  as  to  show  their  power  with 
the  authorities. 

Q.  It  is  charged,  also,  that  tney  were  guilty  of  physical  cruelty 
to  their  own  members  and  others.     What  do  you  know  about  it? 

A.  They  were  ci-uel,  not  only  in  their  treatment  of  their  servants 
by  beating  them,  but  they  also  took  gTeat  delight  in  being  eye  wit- 
ness to  tortures  and  beatings  of  men  in  prisons  and  jails  by  the 
civil  authorities.  They  were  always,  when  witnessing  these  acts, 
accompanied  by  some  of  the  higher  Spanish  civil  authorities,  and 
these  acts  were  usually  carried  out  at  the  instigation  of  the  friars. 
Page  147-148. 

Testimony  of  Senor  Nozario  Constantino. 

(Witness  was  born  in  the  islands,  had  reached  the  age  of  58, 
and  had  lived  in  :\Ianila  since  beginning  the  practice  of  law,  though 
he  made  frequent  trips  back  to  the  vicinity  of  Bigan,  where  he  was 
born,  having  interests  and  lands  in  Bulacan.) 

Question  by  Taft  Commission:  What  political  functions  did  the 
friars  discharge  before  1896  in  the  villages  in  which  they  were 
parish  priests? 

A.  The  political  functions  that  they  exercised  were  those  of 
ruling  the  entire  country,  every  authority  and  everybody  having  to 
be  subservient  to  their  caprice. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  were  the  relations  between  the  heads 
of  the  Spanish  government  and  the  heads  of  the  church  here? 

A.  GEXERALLY  SPEAKING,  THE  GOVERNOR-GENERAL 
HAD  TO  KEEP  ON  THE  GOOD  SIDE  OF  THE  HEAD  OF  THE 
CHURCH  HERE,  FOR  HE  KNEW  FULL  WELL  THAT  IF  HE 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  15 

SHOULD  DO  ANYTHING  WHICH  WAS  DISPLEASING  TO  THE 
ARCH  BISHOP  THAT  HE  WOULD  LAST  A  \^KY  SHORT  TIME 
IN  THE  PHILIPPINES. 

Q.     What  was  the  morality  of  the  friars? 

A.  There  was  no  morality  whatever,  and  the  story  of  the 
ininiorality  would  take  too  long  to  recount.  Great  inunorality  and 
corruption.  (I  desire  to  say  here  that,  speaking  thus  frankly  about 
the  habits  of  the  priests,  the  witnesses  would  fear  that  they  might 
be  persecuted  by  the  priests  if  it  should  ever  get  out  what  they  were 
saying  here.) 

Judge  William  Howard  Taft:  I  DON'T  EXPECT  TO  PUBLISH 
IT.  I  EXPECT  TO  USE  IT  TO  MAKE  A  REPORT  TO  THE  COM- 
MISSION. 

Q.  Have  you  known  of  the  children  of  friars  being  about  in 
Vulacan? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  About  the  year  1840  and  the  year  18  50  every 
frir^r  curate  in  the  province  of  Bulacan  had  his  concubine.  Dr. 
Joaquin  Gonzales  was  the  son  of  a  curate  of  Baliuag,  and  he  has 
three  sisters  here  and  another  brother,  all  children  of  the  same 
friar.  We  do  not  look  upon  that  as  a  discredit  to  a  man.  The 
multitude  of  friars  who  came  here  from  1876  to  1896  and  1898 
were  all  of  the  same  kind,  and  to  name  the  nuiubei'  of  children  that 
they  have  would  take  up  an  immense  lot  of  space.*      *      * 

Q.  Did  not  the  people  become  so  accustomed  to  the  relations 
which  the  friars  had  with  the  women  that  it  really  played  very 
little  part  in  their  hostility  to  the  friars,  assuming  that  the  hos- 
tility did  exist? 

A.  That  contributed  somewhat  to  the  hostility  of  the  people, 
and  they  carried  things  in  this  regard  with  a  very  high  hand,  for 
if  they  should  desire  the  wife  or  daughter  of  a  man,  and  the  husband 
and  father  opposed  such  advances,  they  would  endeavor  to  have  the 
man  deported  by  bringing  up  false  charges  of  being  a  fiilibuster  or 
a  Mason,  and  after  succeeding  in  getting  rid  of  the  husband,  they 
would,  by  foul  or  fair  means,  accomplish  their  purposes,  and  I  «-ill 
cite  a  case  that  actually  happened  to  us.  It  was  the  case  of  a  first 
cousin  of  mine,  Dona  Soponce,  who  married  a  girl  from  Baliuag  and 
went  to  live  in  Agonoy,  and  there  the  local  friar  curate,  who  was 
pursuing  his  wife,  got  him  the  position  as  registrar  of  the  church 
in  order  to  have  him  occupied  in  order  that  he  might  continue  his 
advances  with  the  wife.  He  was  fortunate  in  this  undertaking  and 
succeeded  in  getting  the  wife  away  from  the  husband  and  after- 
wards had  the  husband  deported  to  Puerto  Princessa,  near  Jolo, 
where  he  was  shot  as  an  insurgent,  and  the  friar  continued  to  live 


IG  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

with  the  widow  and  she  bore  him  children.  The  friar's  name  is 
Jose  Martin,  an  Augustinian  friar. 

Q.  I  want  to  aslv  you  whetlier  the  hostility  against  the  friars 
is  confined  to  the  educated  and  the  better  element  among  the  peo- 
ple? 

A.  It  permeates  all  classes  of  society,  and  principally  the  lower, 
for  they  can  do  nothing.  The  upper  class,  by  reason  of  their  educa- 
tion, can  stand  them  off  better  than  the  lower  classes,  and  this  is 
the  reason  that  the  friars  don't  want  the  public  to  become  educated. 
— Pages  150-151. 

MASONS  DEPOSED  FROM  OFFICE. 
Testimony  of  Dr.  Maximo  Viola. 

(Dr.  Maximo  Viola  was  born  in  the  Philippines  and  practiced 
medicine  in  the  province  of  Bulacan,  where  he  lived  practically  all 
his  life  with  the  exception  of  a  trifle  over  four  years,  which  time 
was  spent  in  Spain,  France,  Germany  and  Austria  completing  his 
education. 

Question  by  Taft  Commission.  What  poltiical  functions  did 
the  friars  actually  exercise  in  your  parish? 

A.  They  exercised  all  functions.  They  were  the  lieutenants  of 
the  civil  guard,  the  captain  of  the  pueblo,  the  governor  of  the  pro- 
vince. To  show  this,  the  friar  would  always  watch  the  elections, 
and  if  any  provincial  governor  or  any  municipal  authority  were 
elected  by  the  people  whom  he  did  not  desire  to  hold  office,  he  would 
for  subordinate  officers  appeal  to  the  provincial  governor  and  for 
these  governors  to  the  governor-general,  and  state  that  if  these 
officers  who  had  been  elected  were  permitted  to  assume  their  offices 
that  the  public  order  would  be  endangered,  because  they  were 
Masons,  or  any  other  specious  argument  would  be  advanced  so  as 
to  make  the  superior  authorities  set  at  naught  the  will  of  the 
people  and  appoint  whoever  might  be  thought  suitable  or  friendly 
to  the  friar,  but  often  this  was  not  necessary,  as  the  friar  would  so 
wield  the  elections  as  to  get  only  those  to  vote  who  were  his  blind 
followers. 

Q.  What  was  the  morality  of  the  parish  priests? 
A.  There  was  no  morality.  If  I  was  to  rehearse  the  whole  his- 
tory it  would  be  interminable;  but  I  shall  confine  myself  to  con- 
crete cases,  beginning  with  the  vows  of  chastity,  which  everyone 
knows  they  have  to  take.  Upon  this  point  it  were  better  to  con- 
sult the  children  of  friars  in  every  town  where  there  are  at  least 
four   or   five   or   more,    who   have   cost   their   mothers   more    bitter 


POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  17 

tears  for  having  brought  them  into  the  world,  not  only  because  of 
the  dishonor,  but  also  because  of  the  numerous  deportations  brought 
about  by  the  friars  to  get  rid  of  them.  The  vow  of  poverty  is  also 
loudly  commented  on  by  the  fact  that  in  every  town,  however  poor 
it  may  be,  the  convent  is  the  finest  building,  Avhereas  in  Europe  or 
elsewhere  the  school  house  is  the  finest  building.  With  regard  to 
other  little  caprices  of  the  friars,  I  might  say  that  whenever  si 
wealthy  resident  of  the  town  is  in  his  death  throes  the  Filipino 
coadjutor  of  the  friar  is  never  permitted  to  go  to  his  bedside  and 
confess  liim;  the  Spanish  friar  always  goes,  and  there  he  paints 
to  the  patient  the  torments  of  hell  and  the  consequences  of  an  evil 
life,  tluis  adding  to  the  terrors  of  the  deathbed.  He  also  states  his 
sonl  may  be  saved  by  donating  either  real  or  personal  property  to 
the  chui'ch.  If  the  patient  dies,  the  family  is  compelled  to  have  a 
most  expensive  funeral,  Avith  all  the  incidental  expenses,  which  go 
to  the  cliurch,  or  be  threatened  A\-ith  deportation  or  impiisonment; 
and  if  the  dead  person  is  a  paui>er  and  has  naturally  notlung  to  pay 
with,  or  if  he  is  a  servant  or  a  tenant,  the  master  or  enii>loyer  has 
to  pay  or  he  will  be  deiwrted,  as  happened  to  my  brother-in-law, 
Moses  Santiago,  who  was  a  pharmacist,  and  was  de^wrted  in  the 
month  of  November,  1895,  because  he  did  not  pay  the  fiuieral 
expenses  of  the  son  of  the  female  servant  in  his  house.  The  father 
of  this  child  was  a  laborer  and  had  funds  sufficient  to  defray  the 
burial  expenses,  and  the  friar  was  so  informed  by  my  brother-in- 
law,  and  they  said  they  had  nothing  to  do  with  that,  and  that  he 
was  his  master  and  would  have  to  pay  or  suffer  the  consequences, 
which  he  did. 

I  myself  came  very  near  being  deported  under  the  following 
circumstances:  A  woman  heavily  with  child  died  in  the  fifth  month 
of  gestation.  The  friar  curate  demanded  that  I  should  perform 
the  Caesarian  operation  upon  the  corpse,  in  order  to  baptize  the 
foetus.  I  declined  to  perform  the  operation,  because  I  had  a  wound 
in  my  finger  and  feared  blood  poisoning.  He  told  me  it  was  my 
duty  to  myself  and  to  my  conscience  to  perform  the  operation,  in 
order  that  he  might  baptize  the  foetus,  and  I  told  him  my  conscience 
did  not  so  impel  me,  and  I  declined  to  do  it,  and  he  said,  "Take 
care."  Those  two  words  were  sufficient  to  send  me  hurriedly  to 
Manila,  where  I  remained  from  189-5,  the  year  in  which  this 
occurred,  to  1899. 

If  the  dying  person  is  a  pauper,  with  no  one  to  pay  fees,  the 
Spanish  friar  does  not  go  to  confess  him,  but  sends  the  Filipino, 
and  when  he  dies  without  burial  fees  his  corpse  is  often  allowed  to 
rot,   and  there  have  been  many  cases  where  the  sacristans   of  the 


18  POPERY  SHOWX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

church  have  been  ordered  bj-  the  friar  to  hang  the  corpse  publicly, 
so  that  the  relatives  may  be  thus  compelled  to  seek  the  fees  some- 
where sufficient  to  bury  the  corpse. 

Q.  What  proportion  of  the  friars  do  you  think  violated  their 
vows  of  celibacy? 

A.  I  do  not  know  a  single  one  of  all  those  I  have  kno^\^l  in  tlie 
pi-ovince  of  Biilacan  who  has  not  A-iolated  his  vow  of  celibacy. 

Q.     Does  a  hostility  exist  among  the  people  against  the  friars? 

A.  A  great  deal.  If  you  were  to  ask  the  innabitants  of  the 
Philippines,  one  by  one,  that  question,  they  would  all  say  the  same 
— that  they  hated  the  friars,  because  there  is  scarcely  a  person 
living  here  whc  has  not  in  one  way  or  another  suffered  at  their 
hands. 

Q.      What  is  the  chief  ground  of  that  hostility? 

A.     The  despotism  and  the  immorality. 

Q.  Had  other  causes  than  the  immorality  not  existed,  do  you 
think  the  immorality  was  sufficient? 

A.  Yes:  that  would  be  a  sufficient  cause,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  the  immorality  brings  as  a  natural  consequence  in  its  train 
despotism,  intimidation  and  force  to  carry  out  their  desires  and 
designs;  for  all  may  be  reduced  to  this,  that  the  Filipino  who  did 
not  bow  his  head  in  acquiescence  had  it  cut  off  from  his  shoulders. 

Q.  In  other  words,  this  was  only  a  manifestation  of  the  power 
they  exercised  over  the  people.  That  was  one  end  toward  which 
they  used  their  power? 

A.     Immorality  was  the  chief  end. — Pages  155-157. 

TOO  INDECENT  TO  PRINT. 

Testimony  of  Pedro  Siu'ano  Laktaw. 

(This  native  was  4  7  years  of  age,  had  received  his  degree  as 
teacher  of  elementary  schools  in  IManila,  his  degree  of  superior 
teacher  in  Salamanca,  Spain,  and  his  degree  as  instructor  of  nor- 
mal schools  in  Madrid.  When  asked  in  regard  to  his  knowledge  of 
the  friars,  he  said:  "I  think  I  am  in  a  position  to  know  more 
about  them  than  any  other  Filipino,  because  through  my  position 
as  teacher  I  was  brought  in  constant  contact  with  them.") 

Question  by  Taft  Commission.  What  political  functions  did  the 
friars  actually  exercise  in  the  pueblos? 

A.  All  without  exception.  Even  those  which  the  governor- 
general  was  not  able  to  exercise.  One  of  the  most  terrible  arms 
that  the  friars  wielded  in  the  provinces  was  the  secret  investigation 
and  report  upon  the  private  life  and  conduct  of  .a  person.  For 
instance,  if  some  one  had  made  accusations  against  a  resident  of  a 


POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  19 

pueblo  and  laid  them  before  the  governor-general,  he  would  have 
private  instructions  sent  to  the  curate  of  the  town  to  investigate 
and  report  upon  the  private  life  of  that  resident,  stating  he  had 
been  charged  with  conspiring  against  the  Spanish  sovereignty.  This 
resident  was  having  his  private  life  investigated  without  any  notice 
to  him  whatever  and  in  a  secret  way,  and  the  report  was  always 
sent  secretly  to  the  governor-general,  and  he  might  be  the  intimate 
friend  of  the  governor  of  the  province  or  of  the  gobernadorcillo  of 
the  town,  or  of  the  commander  of  the  civil  guard  in  his  town.  He 
would  render  reports  openly  very  favorable  to  him,  but  notwith- 
standing this  the  governor-general  would  receive  the  secret  report 
of  the  friar  and  act  upon  it.  For  instance,  there  have  been  many 
cases  in  pueblos  where  a  large  number  of  the  inhabitants  have 
attended  a  feast  in  honor  of  the  birthday  of  the  governor  of  the 
province  and  have  partaken  of  his  hospitality,  being  intimate  friends 
of  his,  and  three  or  four  days  later  nearly  all  of  them  have  been 
arrested  and  imprisoned,  charged  with  being  conspirators  against 
the  life  of  the  governor  and  against  the  continuance  of  the  Spanish 
sovereignty  through  secret  information  received  from  the  friar 
curate.  This  is  the  secret  of  their  great  political  influence  in  the 
country,  for  from  the  governor-general  down  to  the  lowest  subordi- 
nate of  the  Spanish  government  they  feared  the  influence  of  the 
friar  at  home,  which  was  very  great,  owing  either  to  social  position 
there  or  to  power  of  money  here,  and  I  myself  have  seen  several 
officers  of  high  rank  in  the  army  and  officials  of  prominence  under 
the  government  sent  back  long  before  their  times  of  service  had 
expired  at  the  instigation  of  the  friars. 

(5.     What  do  you  know  as  to  the  morality  of  the  friars? 

A.  I  have  already  related  in  my  statement  a  few  cases,  and 
I  Avoiiltl  pi'efer  to  answer  the  questions  by  saying  that  the  details  of 
the  immorality  of  the  friars  are  so  base  and  so  indecent  that  instead 
of  smirching  the  friars  I  would  smirch  myself  by  relating  them. 

The  witness  closed  his  testimony  before  'Sir.  Taft,  with  this 
statement:  "In  a  word  it  can  be  truthfully  said  that  the  morality 
of  the  Filipino  people  becomes  looser  and  looser  as  it  nears  the 
neighborhood  of  the  convent."  (For  further  particulars  see  pages 
163-165 — Senate  document  No.  190,  .56th  Cong.  2d  session.) 

"NO  IVIAN'S  WIFE  SAFE." 

Testimony  of  Ambrosia  Flores. 

(This  man  had  lived  in  the  islands  all  his  life,  had  been  an 
officer  in  the  Spanish  army  and  later  a  general  in  the  insurgent 
army,  coming  into  contact  with  the  friars  in  the  discharge  of  mill- 


20  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS: 

tary  and  civil  duties.  Note  his  answers  in  regard  to  ttieir 
"chastity.") 

Question  by  Taft  Conmiission,  Do  you  know  whether  there  are 
in  these  islands  a  great  many  descendants  of  the  friars? 

A.     Yes,  sir. 

Q.      Is   that   generally   understood? 

A.      Yes,   sir. 

Q.  Do  you  think  the  immorality  was  general  or  not — whether 
or  not  with  a  great  many  exceptions? 

A.     Yes,  there  were  exceptions,  but  they  were  very  rare. 

Q.     What  was  the  ground  of  the  hostility  against  the  friars? 

A.  The  reasons  for  their  hostility  were  many.  In  the  first  place, 
the  haughty,  overbearing,  despotic  manner  of  the  friars.  Then  the 
questions  of  the  haciendas,  (large  farms,  referred  to  in  Taft's  Nash- 
ville speech)  because  the  conditions  of  their  tenantry  were  very 
terrible.  Then  there  was  the  fact  of  the  fear  which  beset  every 
man,  even  those  Avho  through  fear  were  nearest  to  the  friars,  that 
if  his  eyes  should  light  upon  his  wife  or  daughter  in  an  envious  way 
that  if  he  did  not  give  them  up  he  was  lost.  Another  reason  was 
that  they  were  inimical  to  educating  the  people.  Then,  again, 
because  of  the  parish  fees,  because  they  were  very  excessive,  always 
compelling  the  rich  to  have  the  greatest  amount  of  ceremony  in 
their  weddings,  baptisms  and  interments — whether  they  wanted  it 
or  not — and  cost  them  thereby  a  good  deal,  and  if  they  did  not 
accede  to  the  payment  they  would  say  they  were  ]Masons  and  fili- 
busters. 

Q.  Was  the  chief  reason  for  the  feeling  of  the  people  against 
the  friars  such  as  you  have  stated;  that  is,  that  they  represented  to 
the  people  the  oppressive  power  of  the  Spanish  people? 

A.     Yes,  sir;   exactly. 

Q.  Do  you  think  that  if  there  were  no  other  reason  their  great 
immorality  would  have  made  them  unpopular? 

A.  That  would  be  sufficient  for  this  reason:  That  the  means 
which  they  used  to  carry  out  their  purposes  with  respect  to  women 
were  the  most  grievous  and  oppressive.  If  they  had  merely  desired 
a  woman  and  courted  her,  nothing  would  have  been  said,  but  if  the 
woman  declined  to  allow  their  advances  they  used  every  effort  in 
their  power  to  compel  her  and  her  relatives  to  succumb. — Pages 
169-170. 

The  testimony  of  Brigadier-General  R.  P.  Hnghes.  U.  S. 
A.,  is  summed  np  in  his  final  answer  to  a  question: 


POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  21 

A.  To  be  plain.  Judge,  there  is  no  morality  in  them;  not  a 
particle.  They  gamble  in  their  convents;  they  send  for  members  of 
theii-  congregation  to  gamble  mth  them.     There  is  no  morality. — 

Pages  176-177. 

The  gist  of  the  evidence  of  the  Attorney-General  of  the 
isLand — Florentino'  Torres — may  be  seen  in  the  following- 
extract  : 

The  artlessness  and  deficient  culture  of  a  great  part  of  the 
inhabitants  of  this  archipelago  are  circumstances  of  which  the  friars 
have  taken  advantage,  for,  as  is  known,  they  take  care  to  have  it 
always  believed  that  they  can  hurl  excommunications  and  command 
the  terrible  punishments  of  heaven,  with  the  power  to  cast  the 
disobedient  into  the  uttermost  depths  of  hell. 

The  social  relations  which  the  friars  have  maintained  with  the 
Filipinos  are  the  most  injurious,  and  opposed  to  culture  and  the 
moral  and  material  progress  of  the  latter.  3Ilnisters  of  a  religion 
whose  founder  proclaimed  charity  to  the  limits  of  sacrifice  and 
equality  among  men  have  preached  the  contrary,  and  sustained  by 
their  works  the  ineqviality  and  difference  between  races,  impeding 
and  ridiculing  every  motion  or  idea  of  dignity  conceived  by  a  Fili- 
pino. They  have  endeavored  to  keep  the  Filipinos  in  ignorance, 
opposing  wherever  they  could  bring  their  pressure  to  bear,  the 
teaching  of  the  Spanish  language  by  primary  school  teachers.  They 
have  condemned  in  their  preachings  and  private  conversations  every 
desire  for  culture  and  civilization,  antagonizing  the  best  purposes 
of  the  Madrid  government  or  of  that  of  these  islands,  as  well  in  the 
faint  and  meager  reforms  in  behalf  of  the  progress  and  education  of 
the  Filipinos  as  in  the  economical  measures  which  to  a  certain  extent 
affect  the  interests  of  the  corporations,  although  they  may  redound 
to  the  great  benefit  of  the  people;  and  have  arrogated  to  themselves 
the  title  of  mentors  and  directors  of  this  society.  Instead  of  teach- 
ing the  Filipinos  cultured  social  behavior  becoming  to  civilized  men, 
they  educated  and  formed  them  morally  with  that  narrow  character, 
little  frank  and  distrustful,  which  is  noticeable  in  the  generality  of 
the  people,  especially  in  the  more  ignorant,  making  them  stubborn 
and  suspicious  of  intercourse  and  relations  with  foreigners. 

They  have  devoted  themselves  to  keeping  this  society  in  ignor- 
ance, as  though  it  lived  in  the  middle  ages  or  in  the  medieval  epoch 
of  remote  centuries. 

Lastly,    as    priests    and    curates,    the    majority    of    them    were 


22  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

living  examples  of  immorality,  or  disorder  in  the  towns,  and 
of  disobedience  and  resistence  to  the  constituted  powers  and  the 
authorities,  encouraged  by  the  impunity  guaranteed  in  the  anach- 
ronistic ecclesiastical  jurisdiction,  by  the  weakness  of  the  gover- 
nors and  officials  vitiated  with  fetichism  and  hypocrisy,  and  by  the 
irresistible  omnipotence  of  each  monarchal  corporation,  possessing 
immense  wealth. 

The  curate  friars  were  agents  and  representatives  of  a  powerful 
theocratic  feudalism,  which  has  been  ruling  this  country  for  many 
centuries  back,  without,  any  sign  of  responsibility  of  any  kind 
through  civil  and  military  officials  appointed  by  the  Spanish  govern- 
ment with  the  more  or  less  direct  intervention  of  the  commissary 
friars  residing  in  the  capital  of  Spain. 

i[i  :^  :^  ^  ^  ^  i'fi  i^  <fi  ^ 

Question  by  Taft  Commission:  -What  was  the  morality  of  the 
friars  as  parish  priests,  etc.? 

A.  The  morality  of  the  friars  generally  left  much  to  be  desired: 
it  was  a  cause  for  scandal  among  their  parishoners — the  way  in 
which  they  broke  their  vows  of  chastity  and  poverty.  This  free 
life  of  the  friars  was  so  notorious  that  nothing  was  hidden  from 
their  parishoners,  who  had  everything  before  their  eyes  on  all  occa- 
sions. We  shall  cite  some  cases:  They  comi>elle(l  an  the  spinsters 
to  go  up  to  the  convent  on  Sundays  and  feast  days,  and  there  they 
exhorted  them  regartling  matters  which  were  not  advisable,  and, 
not  satisfied  ^vith  this,  they  advised  them  to  confess  frequently, 
and  they  relied  upon  this  means  to  profane  the  house  of  God;  and, 
if  they  tlid  not  secure  their  disordered  ends,  they  sought  meansi, 
even  through  it  were  calumny,  to  secui'e  the  deportation  of  thei 
fathers  of  families,  and  if  the  women  were  married  their  husbands, 
as  happened  to  the  former  captain,  Don  Miguel  Bevollo,  and  others. 
To  show  how  far  their  astuteness  went,  there  still  exists  in  the  con- 
vent of  this  pueblo  two  secret  stairways,  the  door  being  in  the  form 
of  a  wardrobe,  which,  when  opened,  formed  means  of  escape — one 
communicating  with  the  vault  and  leading  from  the  choir  of  the 
church  to  the  sacristy,  and  the  other  in  the  sleeping  room  of  the 
curate,  which  led  to  a  storehouse  which  is  now  used  as  the  office 
of  the  local  presidente.  This  was  the  idea  of  a  friar  to  carry  out 
his  impure  and  disordered  passions.  It  can  be  said  that  there  were 
two  curates  of  this  pueblo  who  were  so  cruel  and  inhuman  that  even 
without  any  reason  they  verbally  ill-treated  Avho«'ver  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  have  anything  to  do  with  them,  not  to  say  anything  of 
their  servants,  sacristans  and  singers,  without  respecting  the  sanc- 
tity of  the  place  and  of  religious  functions;  wherefor,  by  reason  of 


POPEKY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  23 

our  consciences  as  good  Catholics,  we  cannot  but  protest  under  pain 
of  tlireatening  demoralization  and  corruption  of  our  holy  religion. 
They  abused  all  kinds  of  females  without  distinction  of  class  or  age, 
and  when  some  of  them  became  with  child  they  gave  them  medicine 
to  kill  the  foetus. — Page  2  00. 

CIVIL  OFFICERS  PUT  IN  JAIL. 

The  friar  curates,  usurping  the  attributes  of  the  local  authori- 
ties, not  only  Intervened  but  exercised  joint  action  with  the  said 
authorities  in  the  three  branches,  administrative,  judicial  and 
economical.  The  justice  of  the  peace  who  should  have  dared  to 
disobey  the  curate  friar  was  certain  to  land  in  jail  within  a  few  days 
if  he  were  not  deported,  to  which  end  the  reverened  friars  always 
had  on  hand,  like  a  penance  against  them,  the  accusation  of  being  a 
filibuster  and  anti-Spanish.  The  heads  of  the  Spanish  government, 
to  the  detriment  of  their  dignity,  became  servile  tools,  because  they 
knew  that  the  friars,  with  the  powerful  lever  of  their  money  treas- 
ured up  in  the  convents  of  Manila,  were  above  the  law;  therefore 
more  powerful  than  the  very  governor-general  of  the  islands. 

— Testimony  of  Francisco  Alvarez,  ex-clerk  of  court  of  ex-council- 
lor of  justice,  before  Taft  Commission,  Senate  document  No.  190, 
56th  Congress,  2d  session,  p.  258. 

"ABSOLUTE   LORD   AXD   PIASTER." 

The  parish  friar  placed  in  the  position  already  described  by  the 
undersigned  regarding  his  parish  converted  himself  up  to  a  certain 
point,  into  an  absolute  lard,  master  of  lives  and  property,  and,  if  so 
willed,  he  made  and  unmade  everything  according  to  his  fancy. 
Master  of  the  will  of  the  people,  more  through  fear  than  out  of  love 
for  him,  he  nominated  town  authorities  who  pleased  him,  which 
nomination  resulted  almost  always  in  the  greatest  flatterer  of  all  his 
parishoners,  and  it  is  plain  that  all  weighty  determinations  dictated 
by  the  municipal  authorities  were  not  proper  initiatives,  but  those 
of  his  amours. 

— Testimony  of  J.  C.  Mijares,  before  Taft  Commission,  Senate 
document  No.  190,  56th  Congress,  2d  session,  254. 

"ASSERTED   RIGHT   TO   IVIARRIAGE   BED." 

I  do  not  know  whether  this  (high  fees)  may  have  been  the 
cause  in  some  cases  for  reluctance  to  contract  ecclesiastical  matri- 
money,  although  in  my  judgment  what  mostly  influenced  this  reluc- 
tance  is    that    some    reverend    friars    had    arrogated    to    themselves 


•24:  POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICAXS. 

rights  ^-liich  in  fuedal  times  were  called  riglits  of  "pernada."  (The 
right  asserted  by  certain  fuedal  lords  to  enter  the  marriage  bed  of  a 
newly-wedded  bride  before  the  husband.)  Far  from  my  mind  is 
the  idea  of  injuring  or  slandering,  for  I  can  cite  specific  and  con- 
crete facts,  with  the  names  and  descriptions  of  the  parties  interested, 
should  I  be  compelled  thereto. 

— Testimony  of  Don  Jose  C.  Mijares,  resident  of  Bacolod,  before 
Taft  Commision,  Senate  document  No.  190,  56th  Congress,  2d  ses- 
sion, p.  254. 

DETECTIVE   WORK  OF  THE  PRIEST. 

The  detective  work  of  the  friar  curates  and  their  false  accusa- 
tions and  slanders  sent  many  and  an  innumerable  number  of  the 
peacefully  inclined  to  the  revolutionary  ranks,  because  between  the 
horrible  punishments  and  outrages  which  produced  death  slowly 
and  death  in  the  open  field,  many  preferred  the  latter.  The  greater 
part  of  the  well-to-do  and  cultured  people  of  the  provinces  and 
many  from  this  capital  embraced  the  cause  of  the  rebellion,  forced 
thereto  by  the  persecution  and  false  accusations  made  by  many 
jingoistic  Spanish  patriots  and  the  friars,  ratlier  than  of  their  own 
notion,  and  also  because  of  the  outrages,  ferocious  punishments, 
and  most  severe  penalties  imposed  on  persons  that  the  people 
believed  to  be  innocent.  (P.  187.)  The  curate  friars  were  agents 
and  representatives  of  a  powerful  theocratic  feudalism,  which  has 
been  ruling  this  country  for  many  centuries  back  without  any  sign 
of  responsibility  of  any  kind,  through  civil  and  military  officials 
appointed  by  the  Spanish  government  with  the  more  or  less  direct 
intervention  of  the  commisary  friars  residing  in  the  capital  of 
Spain. 

— Testimony  of  Florentino  Tores,  attorney-general  of  the  Philip- 
pines under  military  government  of  the  U.  S.,  before  Taft  Commis- 
sion, Senate  document  No.  190,  56th  Congress,  2d  sesion,  p.  181- 
187. 

MASONS  DEPORTED:  WIVES  OUTRAGED. 

If  they  should  desire  the  wife  or  daughter  of  a  man,  and  the 
husband  and  father  opposed  such  advances,  they  would  endeavor 
to  have  the  man  deported  by  bringing  up  false  charges  of  being  a 
filibuster  or  a  jMason,  and  after  succeeding  in  getting  rid  of  the 
husband,  they  would  by  foul  or  fair  means,  accomplish  their  pur- 
poses, and  I  will  cite  a  case  that  actually  happened  to  us. 

— Witness  Senor  Constantino,  before  Taft  Commission,  Senate 
document  No.   190,  5  6th  Congress,  2   dsession,  p.   150-151. 


POPEKY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  25 

TRUST  IVEETHODS  USED. 

Q.     How  did  the  friar  rob  them? 

A.  He  robbed  them  in  the  vicinity  of  the  railroads  by  forcing 
the  people  to  sell  their  rice  to  him  at  the  prices  which  the  friar 
made,  and  not  allowing  the  people  to  send  their  own  products  to 
the  market. 

— Testimony  of  H.  P.  Whitemarsh,  American  correspondent 
Century  Magazine,  and  other  periodicals,  before  Taft  Commission, 
Senate  document  No.  190,  56th  Congress,  2d  session. 

CAUSE  OF  HOSTILITY, 

Q.     What  grounds  did  they  give  for  their  hostility? 

A.  Mainly  that  the  priests  held  them  under,  oppressed  them, 
robbed  them,  and  that  they  used  their  women  and  daughters  just 
as  they  pleased. 

— Testimony  of  H.  P.  Whitemarsh,  American  correspondent  rep- 
resenting Century  ^Magazine  and  other  periodicals,  given  before  Taft 
Commission,  Senate  document  No.  190,  56th  Congress,  2d  session, 
p.  17. 

Cardinal  Gibbons,  you  cannot  say  that  yon  are  ignorant  of 
the  appalling  record  which  your  "Church"  made  in  the  Philip- 
pines, after  having  had  full  sway  there  for  centuries.  Yet  you 
now  demand  that  this  Democratic  administration  shall  play 
false^  to  the  American  people,  shall  stultify  itself,  and  shall 
keep  the  U.  S.  Army  in  the  Islands  for  the  purpose  of  perpet- 
uating the  rule  of  the  Eomanist  robbers,  seducers  and  mur- 
derers. 

What  is  your  motive^  my  Prince  f 

Are  you  compelled  to  obey  an  order  from  the  Vatican? 

Are  you  as  much  of  a  slave  to  Rome,  as  you  demand  that 
the  Filipinos  shall  always  be  ? 


26  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMEEICAXS. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Discovery  of  the  Philippine  Archipelago  by  Magellan;  King  Philip 
of  Spain  Sets  About  Converting  the  Filipinos  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  Faith;  the  Friars  Chosen  to  Conduct  the  Work;  Their 
Oaths  of  Chastity  and  Poverty;  When  Persuasion  and  Argument 
Failed,  the  Arbitrament  of  the  Sword  to  be  Resorted  to,  a  Feature 
of  Their  Plan  of  Converting  the  Islanders;  Terrible  Indictment  of 
the  Friars,  in  President  McKinley's  Message  to  Congress;  Their 
Shameless  Violation  of  Their  Oaths;  Driven  to  Desperation,  the 
Filipinos  had  Risen  in  Insurrection;  Mr.  Stuntz's  book;  Universal 
Hatred  of  the  Friars;  the  Romanist  Greed  for  Land  and  Rack- 
rents;  They  Stifle  All  Liberty  of  Thought,  and  Freedom  of 
Speech;  Their  Insatiable  Greed  for  Money;  Their  Immorality; 
Testimony  of  Witnesses  Before  the  Taft  Commission. 

YOU  are  no  doubt  conversant  with  the  history  of  the  8000 
islands,  in  the  far  Pacific,  which  are  called  the  Philip- 
pines— so  named,  in  honor  of  Philip  II.  of  Spain,  whose 
greatest  happiness  it  was  to  attend  the  burning  to  death  of 
those  Spaniards  who  could  jiot  be  brought  to  believe  that  a 
dozen  Latin  words,  mumbled  bv  a  priest,  could  change  a  piece 
of  bread  into  the  body  of  Christ. 

You  therefore  know  that  this  Eastern  archipelago  was 
"discovered''  by  Magellan,  the  navigator  who  succeeded  in 
finding  the  water-way  to  the  East  by  way  of  the  AYest.  which 
Columbus  was  vainly  seeking  when  he  stumbled  upon  the 
West  Indes. 

We  do  not  know  to  what  extent  the  inhabitants  of  those 
Islands  had  enjoyed  life,  previous  to  the  '•discovery"'  by  the 
Spanish  Christians,  in  the  year  1519;  but  we  have  a  fairly 
accurate  idea  of  the  torments  they  have  suffered  ever  since 
King  Philip  set  about  their  ''conversion''  in  1555, 

This  most  orthodox  monarch,  in  casting  about  for  the  best 
agents  to  bring  the  Islanders  oA'er  to  Holy  Church  and  the 
Holv  Father,  chose  the  friars.  In  this  selection  the  Papa 
heartily  concurred,  Xo  instruments  more  fitting  could  be 
desired. 

The  friars  Avere  solemnly  sworn  to  lire  as  eunn(/ts,  letting 
the  women  alone,  even  as  St,  Anthonv  and  Simeon  Stvlites 
did. 

The  friars  were  also  deeply  .f;)C())'/i  to  porofi/.    They  were 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICAXS. 


27 


commissioned  to  lay  up  treasures  in  Heaven,  only,  where  moths 
do  not  corrupt,  nor  thieves  break  in  and  steal. 

These  consecrated,  self-denying  frairs  were  not  even 
allowed  to  own  the  very  clothes  they  wore.  Their  oaths  bound 
them  to  own  nothing. 

Hence  King  Philip,  who  was  a  stingy  soul,  chose  these 
friars  as  the  most  inexpensive  Romanist  machinery  which  he 
could  establish  in  the  Islands.  They  did  not  cost  Spain  a 
ducat:  what  they  cost  the  Filipinos  is  a  hideous  story,  written 


THESE    CHAPS    OWE    THEIR   THICK    NECKS    AND    COARSE    MOUTHS 

TO    ABSTEMIOUS    DIET,    PURE    THOUGHTS,    AND     FREQUENT 

RESORT   TO   GRUEL,   BRANCH   WATER,    VEGETABLES,    &C. 


in  blood,  in  chains,  in  torture-chambers,  in  untimely  graves, 
in  crimes  that  appal  humanity. 

Cardinal  Gibbons,  are  you  familiar  with  the  black  record? 

Do  you  not  know  that  the  order  of  the  Spanish  King 
authorized  those  Roman  friars  to  "convert"  the  natives  ''5?; 
force  of  aj'tns,'^  when  milder  measures  failed? 

Do  you  not  know  what  butcheries  were  conmiitted.  under 
that  royal  order,  by  Spanish  troops  at  the  instigation  of  the 
friars  ? 

In  those  remote  Islands,  too  far  away  from  European  eye 
to  see  or  European  ear  to  hear,  deeds  were  done  in  the  name 


28  POPEKY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

of  Christ  that  Avere  fiendish  enough  to  ghidden  the  imps  of 
the  Pit. 

In  my  last  letter  to  you,  my  Prince,  liberal  extracts  were 
quoted  from  the  Message  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  transmitting  to  Congress  the  official  Report  of  the 
Secretary  of  War,  relative  to  the  Philippine  Islands.  This 
Message  was  sent  from  the  Executive  Mansion.  Feb.  25,  1901 
— William  McKinley  being  President. 

Cardinal,  the  Message  is,  in  effect,  as  frightful  an  indict- 
ment of  your  Romish  system  as  Erasmus  ever  published,  as 
Luther  ever  fulminated,  as  Henry  VIII.  ever  put  on  record,  as 
any  ex-priest  ever  hurled  at  your  head. 

Erasmus,  your  Papa  dared  not  burn:  it  was  too  late:  the 
embers  still  glowed  beneath  the  ashes  where  he  burned  Jerome, 
and  Huss,  and  Bruno,  and  Savonarola. 

Luther  could  not  be  burned,  for  the  German  princes  put 
the  steel  girdle  of  their  swords  around  him,  and  would  not 
yield  him  up  to  the  fires  of  papal  hate. 

Henry  VIII.  your  Papa  could  not  burn,  because  he  was 
a  King,  and  the  day  had  passed  when  a  haughty  Pope  could 
dethrone  and  degrade  a  monarch. 

Ex-priests  have  been  shot,  and  have  been  poisoned,  and 
have  been  sand-bagged,  and  have  been  drowned,  and  have 
been  shut  up  in  dungeons  whence  no  sound  can  be  heard — 
but  yet  the  ex-priest  is  ever  with  us,  and  his  indictment  against 
you,  Cardinal,  cries  aloud  to  the  God  on  High ! 

But  never  did  King  or  prelate  arraign  you  more  sweep- 
ingly,  more  convincingly,  more  unanswerably,  than  your  sys- 
tem is  arraigned  in  President  McKinley's  Message  to  Congress. 

Mark  you,  my  Prince !  Your  system  had  been  in  full  con- 
trol of  the  Philipine  Islands  for  more  than  300  years.  The 
field  was  yours.  No  heretic  was  there  to  make  a  note  of  dis- 
cord.   It  was  death.,  not  to  be  a  Roman  Catholic ! 

Yours,  the  ground ;  yours,  the  tree ;  yours,  the  fruit ! 

A"\Tiat  was  that  fruit,  as  disclosed  by  the  tmdisputed  evi- 
dence of  all  the  witnesses  before  the  Taft  Commission? 

(1.)  Sworn  to  poverty.,  your  frairs  had  robbed  the  natives 
of  their  best  lands  and  had  enriched  themselves  at  the  expense 
of  their  helpless  converts; 

(2.)  Sworn  to  chastity.,  your  friars  had  satiated  their 
swinish  lust  upon  the  wives  and  daughters  of  their  ''converts," 
until  no  man  was  safe; 


FOPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  29 

(3.)  Sworn  to  Christian  duties  ami  responsibilities,  your 
friars  had  banished  the  Bible,  had  kept  the  natives  in  ignor- 
ance, had  imposed  upon  them  with  all  sorts  of  unjust  taxes, 
fees,  forced  labor  and  contemptuous  mistreatment. 

No  wonder  the  miserable  victims  of  priestly  greed  and 
lust,  flamed  out  into  desperate  insurrection— determined  to  die 
in  arms  rather  than  submit  longer  to  these  intolerable  wrongs. 

Cardinal,  have  you  run  your  eyes  over  Taft's  report  to 
McKinley,  and  McKinley's  report  to  Congress?  It  is  Senate 
Document  No.  190,  2nd  session,  56th  Congress,  Elihu  Root 
being  Secretary  of  War  at  the  time. 

My  Prince,  you  should  read  the  entire  record  of  that  fear- 
ful investigation. 

The  facts  therein  revealed  on  oath  corroborate  Erasmus, 
Savonarola,  Luther,  Henry  VIIL,  Count  C.  P.  DeLasteyrie, 
Justin  D.  Fulton,  Father  Chiniquy,  Joseph  McCabe,  William 
Hogan,  Margaret  Shepherd,  Jeremiah  Crowley,  Bernard  Fre- 
senborg,  Manuel  Ferrando,  P.  A.  Seguin,  Maria  Monk  and  all 
the  host  of  other  witnesses  who  have  testified  against  your 
dammable  system. 

Cardinal,  you  will  find  that  official  Report  of  Taft  quoted 
and  substantiated  in  the  book  entitled,  The  Philippines  and 
the  Far  East,  by  Homer  C.  Stuntz  (1904)  who  lived  two  years 
in  the  Islands. 

Mr.  Stuntz  says  that  Governor  Taft's  witnesses  were 
"bishops,  priests,  friars,  doctors,  lawyers,  teachers,  business 
men,  all  residents  of  the  Philippines." 

Now,  let  me  simplify  matters  by  following  Mr.  Stuntz  in 
his  selections  from  the  mass  of  testimony  presented  to  the 
Taft  Commission,  and  in  his  enumeration  of  the  causes  that 
led  to  the  insurrection  of  the  natives  against  the  Romanists. 

First,  Mr.  Stuntz  proves  by  the  evidence  that  the  hatred 
borne  to  the  friars  was  iiniversal.  He  cites  the  lawyer,  Con- 
stantino, p.  151  Sen.  Doc.  190. 

This  universal  hatred  was  engendered  by — 

(1.)  The  Romanist  greed  for  land,  and  for  rack-rents 
from  the  natives. 

For  instance,  one  of  the  orders  that  was  bound  by  the  vows 
to  poverty  had  seized  ori'e  tract  of  land  that  was  28  miles  long, 
hy  14  miles  loide. 

Nice  little  poor- farm,  wasn't  it  Cardinal? 

In  all,  these  sworn  paupers  of  Rome  had  appropriated 
403,000  acres  of  the  very  choicest  land  in  the  Islands,  and  were 


30  POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

rack-renting  00.000  native  "converts"* — doing  it,  of  course,  in 
the  name  of  God,  and  for  the  glorj-  of  the  Virgin  j\Iary. 

This  land  had  been  earned,  principally,  by  praying  souls 
out  of  "pugaterry,''  putting  oil  on  the  dying,  and  granting 
pardons  for  sin.  Breath,  and  not  money,  paid  for  the  soil  held 
l3y  these  sworn  paupers — much  of  the  breath  being  heavily 
encumbered  by  whiskey  and  tobacco. 

It  was  to  extinguish  fraudulent  titles  thus  obtained  that 
RooseA'elt.  Taft  and  Eoot  agreed  to  pay  the  paupers  $18.  per 
acre  for  their  araole  dirt,  $7,000,000  total ! 

Secondly,  Mr.  Stuntz  found  that  the  Romanists  were  hated 
b}^  the  natives — 

'''•Because  they  stifled  all  Wjerty  of  thought,  or  freedom  of 
sfeech^  in  matters  religious  ANI)  POLITICAL.'''' 

There  was  a  Spanish  law  which  mude  it  a  crime  to  teach 
any  other  religion  than  the  Roman  Catholic.  (Section  226 
Penal  Code.) 

So  late  as  1896,  the  Romanists  were  relentlessly  persecut- 
ing and  murdering  such  Filipino  patriots  as  Dr.  Jose  Rizal, 
an  educated  and  very  brilliant  man.  whose  only  crime  teas  his 
independence  of  thought  and  speech.  (Shot  in  Manila,  Dec. 
30,  1896,  while  hundreds  of  Romanist  friars  looked  on.  smil- 
ing as  they  puffed  their  cigars.) 

The  third  cause  of  the  hatred  of  the  natives  for  the  Roman- 
ists was — 

'■''Their  insatiahle  greed  for  money.'''' 

The  evidence  is,  that  the  sworn  paupers  charged  money  for 
masses,  indulgences,  bulas,  pictures,  books,  chaplets,  benedic- 
tions, marriages,  baptisms,  burials,  confessions  of  the  dying, 
etc. 

It  can  hardly  be  credited  that  these  poverty-vowing  disci- 
ples of  Jesus  charged  $15.  for  giving  Christian  interment  to 
the  corpse  of  a  native ! 

Sometimes,  the  friars  forced  the  sacristans  "to  hang  the 
corpse  publicly,  so  that  the  relatives  may  be  thus  compelled 
to  seek  the  fees  somewhere,  sufficient  to  bury  the  corpse." 
(Stuntz,  p.  100,  quoting  testimony  of  Senor  Maximo  Viola 
before  the  Civil  Commission.) 

The  fourth  cause  of  the  intense  and  universal  hatred  was — 

'■''The  immorality  of  the  fHars.'''' 

Mr.  H.  Phelps  Whitmarsh  was  sent  to  the  Islands  as  the 
correspondent  of  TJte  Outlool\  the  magazine  of  which  Mr. 
Roosevelt  is  now  one  of  the  editors. 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  31 

Mr.  Whitmarsh  was  made  Governor  of  the  Hill  Province 
at  Benguest  in  the  Philippines. 

The  Commission  inquired  of  him  the  grounds  of  the  hos- 
tility of  the  natives  to  the  Romanist  friars.    He  replied : 

'■''Mainly,  that  the  priests  held  them  under,  oppressed  them, 
rolled  them.,  AND  USED  THEIR  ^YIyES  AND  DAUGH- 
TERS JUST  AS  THEY  PLEASED:' 

There  it  is,  in  a  nut-shell:  simple,  terse,  complete,  dam- 
ning ! 

^Y\v3ii  about  it,  Cardinal? 

That's  what  your  Roman  system  does,  and  always  has 
done,  whenever  it  has  gained  the  upper  hand. 

It  keeps  the  people  under,  it  oppresses  them,  it  robs  them, 
and  it  vses  their  loives  and  daughters  just  as  they  please. 

The  Philippines  was  no  isolated  case :  it  was  a  typk-al 
denbonst ration,  my  Prince. 

Lest  we  forget,  my  Prince,  I  will  re-state  what  was  proved 
against  your  system,,  in  the  Philippines,  after  it  had  had  full 
swing  for  more  than  300  years : 

General  R.  P.  Hughes,  of  the  United  States  Army,  testi- 
fied that  there  was  no  morality — "?io^  a  particle'''' — among  your 
Romanist  priests. 

Attorney-General  Torres  swore  that  your  Romanist  priests 
"have  condemned,  in  their  preachings  and  in  their  private 
conversations,  EVERY  DESIRE  FOR  CULTURE  AND 
civilization;'  among  the  natives. 

General  Torres  further  testified  that  they — the  priests — 
''^ahvsed  all  kinds  of  females,  irithont  distinction  of  class  or 
age:' 

Jose  Templo.  speaking  for  himself  and  as  chosen  rcjyre- 
sentative  of  his  city  of  Lipa,  accused  your  Romanist  friars  of 
being  ''THE  CORRUPTORS  OF  YOUTH:' 

He  further  made  the  terrible  charge  that,  "in  the  admin- 
istration of  the  sacraments  they  exercised  only  the  penitential 
as     in     these     they     experienced     pleasures     and     deliqhts 

through  their  shameless  and  incredible 
solicitations:' 

To  avoid  misrepresentation,  I  will  quote  the  words  of  this 
unimpeached  and  uncontradicted  witness: 

In  Lenten  time,  which  was  the  period  when  the  comitry  folk 
came  in  to  confess,  the  parish  friar  would  give  strict  orders  to  the 


32  POPERY  SHOWX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

scribes  of  the  church  to  the  end  that  in  the  distribution  or  giving 
of  the  certificates  to  the  penitents  among  himself  and  the  coadju- 
tors, they  should  give  him  the  young  immanied  country  women  and 
servant  penitents,  whom  he  obscenely  solicited  throvigh  words  and 
manipulations  in  the  confessional,  which  they  always  had  cornered 
and  buried  in  the  darkest  part  of  the  chiu-ch.  Is  a  proof  of  this 
desired  as  clear  as  the  light  of  mid-day?  Here  are  the  thousands 
of  solicited  females,  of  which  I  have  some  examples  in  my  house, 
ready  to  depose  if  necessary  in  accordance  with  what  is  here 
denounced. 

Q.  What  do  you  think  is  the  chief  ground  for  hostility  to  the 
friars  as  parish  priests? 

A.  The  abuses,  tyranniies,  and  countless  immoralities  com- 
mitted safely.  I  say  "safely"  because  in  the  Philippines  no  one 
could  call  the  frair  to  account  for  his  acts.  And  if  any  governor 
allowed  himself  at  any  time  to  bridle  his  friars  his  rashness  cost 
him  dearly,  he  being  discharged  from  his  office. — Pages  202,  209, 
210. 

Don  Jose  C.  Mi j ares  had  lived  in  the  Islands  63  years:  he 
testified : 

The  friar  curates,  usurping  the  attributes  of  the  local  authori- 
ties, not  only  intervened  but  exercised  joint  action  with  the  said 
authorities  in  the  three  branches,  administrative,  judicial  and 
economical.  The  gobernadorcilla  or  justice  of  the  peace  who  should 
have  dared  to  disobey  the  curate  friar  was  certain  to  land  in  jail 
within  a  few  days  if  he  were  not  deported,  to  which  end  the 
reverened  friars  always  had  on  hand,  like  a  panacea  against  them, 
the  accusation  of  being  a  filibusterer  and  anti-Spanish. 

The  heads  of  the  Spanish  government,  to  the  detriment  of  their 
dignity,  became  servile  tools,  because  they  knew  that  the  friars, 
with  the  powerful  lever  of  their  money  treasured  up  in  the  con- 
vents of  Manila,  were  above  the  law;  THEREFORE,  MORE  POW- 
ERFUL THAN  THE  VERY  GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OP  THE 
ISLANDS. 

General  Torres  said : 

It  can  be  asserted  without  exaggeration  that  the  friars  have 
been  and  are  a  fatal  hindrance  to  the  advancement,  moral  and 
material,  of  this  country,  from  the  very  fact  that  they  have  devoted 


POPERY  8H0WX  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  33 

themselves  to  keeping  this  society  in  ignorance,  as  though  it  lived 
in  the  middle  ages  or  in  the  mediaeval  epoch  of  remote  centuries; 
and  lastly,  as  priests  and  curates,  the  majority  of  them  were  living 
examples  of  immorality,  of  disorder  in  the  towns. 

General  Torres  further  stated: 

In  many  pueblos  the  concubines  and  children  of  the  friars  Aver€ 
publicly  kno«ii  and  pointed  out,  and  the  colleges  existing  in  this 
capital  used  to  be,  and  still  are,  filled  with  youths  of  both  sexes 
whose  featui'es  reveal  their  origin  and  birth. 

Ambrosia  Flories  said: 

A.  The  reasons  for  this  hostility  were  many.  In  the  first  place, 
the  haughty,  overbearing,  despotic  manner  of  the  friars.  Then  the 
question  of  the  haciendas,  because  the  conditions  of  their  tenantry 
were  very  terrible.  Then  there  was  the  fact  of  the  fear  which  beset 
every  man,  even  those  who  through  fear  were  nearest  to  the  friars, 
that  if  his  eyes  should  light  uiwn  his  Avife  or  his  daughter  in  an 
en\aous  way  that  if  he  did  not  give  them  up  he  was  lost.  ANOTHER 
REASON  WAS  THAT  THEY  WERE  INIMICAL  TO  EDUCATING 
THE  PEOPLE.  Then,  again,  because  of  the  parish  fees,  because 
they  were  very  excessive,  always  compelling  the  rich  to  have  the 
greatest  amount  of  ceremony  in  their  weddings,  baptisms  and  inter- 
ments— whether  they  wanted  it  or  not — and  cost  them  thereby  a 
good  deal,  and  if  they  did  not  accede  to  tlie  payment  they  would 
say  they  were  IMasons  or  filibusters. 

Pedro  Luraiio  Laktaw  swore  that  the  immorcdit}/  of  the 
Filipinos  grew  worse  and  worse.  THE  NEARER  ONE 
APPROACHED  TO  THE  CONVENTS. 

Senor  Nozarino  Constantino  testified,  concerning  the 
priests : 

If  they  should  desire  the  wife  or  daughter  of  a  man,  and  the 
husband  and  father  opposed  such  advances,  they  would  endeavor 
to  have  the  man  deported  by  bringing  up  false  charges  of  being  a 
filibuster  or  a  Mason,  and  after  succeeding  in  getting  rid  of  thej 
husband,  they  Avould,  by  foul  or  fair  means,  accomplish  their  pm*- 
poses. 

All   the   evidence   discloses   '•'■the  immense   wealth''''  which 


34  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICAXS. 

these  sAvorn-to-poverty  friars  had  accumulated.  By  the  cor- 
rupt use  of  this  ill-gotten  wealth,  the  holy  paupers  bribed 
officials,  in  the  Islands,  or  in  Spain,  and  thus  maintained  their 
irresistible  power  to  wring  more  ajicl  more,  AND  MORE^ 
from  the  miserable  natives. 

The  evidence  is  that  the  Islanders  could  read  and  tcrite 
their  own  language,  before  the  Spaniards  and  the  friars  came 
to  "discover"  the  archipelago. 

Afterwards,  the  natives  were  systematically  mistreated', 
degraded,  deprived  of  education  and  debauched  morally,  in 
tlie  manner  described  by  the  witnesses. 

^Miat  have  you  to  sav  about  it,  Cardinal? 

You  want  another  THREE  HUNDRED  YEARS  OF 
LOOT,  for  your  Italian  Papa,  don't  you? 

With  unctious  persuasiveness,  you  argue  against  the  grant 
of  self-government  to  these  Islanders. 

You  say  that  we  must  dishonor  our  forefathers,  spurn  our 
Declaration  of  Independence,  break  the  assurances  that  we 
gave  to  the  world  and  the  promises  we  have  made  to  the 
Islanders. 

You  say  that  the  natives  are  not  yet  prepared  for  self- 
government. 

"Whose  fault  is  that,  my  Prince? 
Your  political  corporation  has  had  them  in  custody  and  tute- 
lage for  three  centuries :  how  many  more  hundreds  of  years 
do  you  demand? 

P.  S.  Do  not  forget,  my  Prince,  that  your  Eomanist 
jDriests,  as  shown  hy  undisputed  testimony,  claimed  and  exer- 
cised the  feudal  right  known  in  fuedal  law  as  the  jus  prima 
noctis — that  is,  the  privilege  of  the  feudal  landlord  to  occupy 
the  Indal  led,  AYITH  THE  BRIDE,  on  the  frst  night  after 
the  wedding. 

They  did  that  in  the  Philippines.  Elsewhere,  they  are  still 
doing  things  to  the  women  and  the  men  that  are  quite  as 
wicked  and  lustful  as  the  jus  prima  noctis. 

Do  you  demand  proof,  my  Prince? 

You  shall  have  it. 


POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMEEICAXS.  35 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Cardinal  Compared  to  an  Owl;  His  Controversy  With  Dr.  Osier; 
The  Holy  Men  of  the  East  and  the  West  the  Same  in  Purpose  and 
in  Results. 

HOW  does  it  feel  to  be  an  owl ?  Do  you  never  throb  with 
the  impulse  to  dart  away  from  the  dead  limb  of  the 
tree  upon  which  you  perch;  and  to  spread  a  free,  strong 
wing  in  the  vibrant  air?  Or,  have  you  grown  so  accustomed  to 
the  ancient  nest,  and  to  the  gloom  of  night  and  to  your 
monotonous  hoot,  that  you  could  not  bear  the  jocund  day, 
with  its  riot  of  nature's  woodnotes? 

Dr.  Osier,  scientist,  rudely  shook  your  dead  limb,  a  few 
weeks  ago,  by  speaking  somewhat  irreverently  of  those  bygone 
shells  which  produce  just  such  horned  owls  as  yourself.  The 
scientist  proudly  alluded  to  the  triumphs  and  the  trophies  of 
those  hardy  ventures  into  the  uncharted  seas  who  had  freighted 
their  daring  vessels  with  so  many  priceless  cargoes  rescued  from 
"Chaos  and  old  Night,"  so  many  Sibylyne  leaves  that  were 
forbidden  to  eyes  profane,  so  many  Eleusynian  mysteries  from 
which  common  mortals  were  debared,  so  many  of  Nature's 
inner  secrets  before  whose  closed  portals  had  flashed  the  flam- 
ing swords.  Beyond  the  Pillars  of  Hercules,  the  scientists  have 
sailed,  defying  wind  and  wave  and  oracular  interdict :  and 
from  the  newly  found  world,  beyond  the  horizon  of  orthodox 
cult  and  knowledge,  they  have  brought  to  us  the  Elixir  of 
Life,  the  Conqueror's  sword  that  cuts  the  Gordian  knot,  the 
Holy  Grail  that  Sir  Galahad  sought  in  vain. 

The  grandest  of  all  music  today,  is  the  voice  of  independent 
Thought.  Its  battle-axe  rings  upon  the  castle  gate,  and  the 
Chained  Princess  of  Truth  must  be  freed.  Its  all-seeing  eye 
is  the  sungleam  into  all  the  dungeons  of  superstition,  and  the 
barred  windows  must  be  opened.  It  stands.  Redeemer-like, 
where  every  law  of  nature  has  been  suspended,  and  imperi- 
oush^  calls,  "Lazarus,  come  forth  I"  It  walks  the  surface  of 
all  the  seas,  and  wherever  the  doubting  Peter,  on  his  way  to 
Life,  is  about  to  sink,  it  cries.  "Be  not  afraid :  it  is  II" 

And  so  Dr.  Osier,  a  scientist,  proud  of  the  marvellous 
achievements  of  the  fearless,  the  discontented,  the  restless,  the 
progressive,  the  seekers  after  more  knowledge — Dr.  Osier.  I 
say   ,spoke  in  Baltimore   a   few  weeks   ago   and  was  not  as 


3G  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICAXS. 

reverent  as  he  might  have  been,  in  his  references  to  the  Saints, 
the  relics,  t'he  iiimges,  the  miracles,  and  the  rest  of  the  owlish 
stock-in-trade  of  ecclesiastical  night-birds. 

Consequently,  you.  my  Prince,  had  to  erect  your  honorable 
horns,  and  make  the  forest  ring  with  your  honorable  hoot. 

You  were  scandalized  by  Dr.  Osier.  You  were  shocked  to 
hear  so  manj^  goodly  gifts  accredited  to  fearless  research,  to 
irreverent  doubt,  to  heterodox  discontent,  to  the  Ajaxes  who 
dare  the  lightning,  to  the  sons  of  Prometheus  who  snatch  the 
torch  from  heaven  itself,  in  the  determination  that  mankind 
shall  SEE  AND  KXO^Y! 

Dr.  Osier  disturbed  you  in  your  ancient  solitary  tower, 
and  you  sent  forth  a  lugubrious  hoot — To-whit,  tu-whit,  to- 
hoo ! — admonishing  us  to  remember  that  Science  and  the 
Intellect  are  as  nothing,  compared  Avith  i^he  Saint,  the  relic, 
the  imcige,  and  the  miracle! 

Wrapped  in  the  uncanny  cerements  of  a  dead  creed,  with^ 
the  sickening  smell  of  embalming  fluid  all  over  you.  and  with 
the  repulsive  look  of  a  mummy  that  dried  up  a  thousand  years 
ago,  you,  Cardinal,  cannot  imagine  what  an  absurd  figure  you 
cut,  when  you  come  forth,  owlishly  blinking  your  eyes  in  the 
light  of  day,  and  pouring  forth  maudlin  puerilities  about 
Saints,  images,  relics  and  miracles. 

If  there  is  a  miracle  in  this  American  world,  my  Prince, 
it  consists  of  the  fact  that  such  Rip  Van  Winkles  as  yourself 
can  secure  respectful  reception  by  men  who  have  sense  enough 
to  go  in  out  of  the  rain. 

That  you  should  not  be  conscious  of  having  overslept  your- 
self, that  the  world  has  passed  you  by,  that  the  very  clothes 
on  your  back  have  become  tatters,  that  your  faithful  dogs  of 
the  Inquisition  are  known  only  by  the  bones  they  left  behind; 
and  that  the  radiant  day  of  the  Twentieth  Century  has  no 
place  for  such  antiquated  anachronisms  as  you  and  your  Paj^a, 
is,  I  confess,  something  of  a  miracle. 

]Must  every  chain  have  its  faulty  link?  ]Must  every  flock 
have  its  black  sheep?  Must  eveiy  litter  have  its  nint?  jNIust 
Humanity,  in  the  advance  of  its  hosts,  always  have  a  camp- 
following  debris  hanging  upon  its  flanks  and  rear— a  wretched 
motley  of  squalid  ignorance,  of  degrading  superstition,  of 
decadent  recurrence  to  type,  of  degeneracy  and  monkeyism? 
Apparently,  "y^s." 

In  the  Orient,  the  Holy  Man  is  the  vagabond  who  squats 
in  one  place  for  the  greatest  numlier  of  years,  accumulates  the 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  37 

greatest  amount  of  filth,  presents  the  most  disgusting  spectacle 
of  vermin  infested  head  and  body,  finger-nails  grown  to  talons 
of  incredible  length  and  repulsiveness,  features  devoid  of 
human  emotions,  eyes  that  look  upon  the  world  without  see- 
ing it. 

Armies  of  peace  march  by  with  banners  of  snow:  armies 
of  war  march  by.  under  flags  of  blood :  hosts  of  workers,  doers, 
lovers,  revellers,  joy-makers,  grief -victims — they  all  march  by, 
in  Nature's  varied  way  in  Nature's  appointed  time,  to  Nature's 
inevitable  goal :  and  the  Holy  Man,  encrusted  in  his  dirt,  his 
inertia,  his  Ego,  his  sordid  stupidity,  squats  there,  a  very  toad^ 
with  no  smile  to  answer  smile,  with  never  a  tear  to  keep  com- 
pany with  tears,  with  never  a  wami  wave  of  affection  to 
mingle  with  the  warmth  of  some  kindred  wave,  with  never  a 
hand  at  the  loom  that  weaves,  with  never  a  foot  on  the  path- 
way of  duty,  with  never  a  word  of  cheer  for  those  who  press 
forward,  with  no  contribution  to  the  world's  heritage  from  the 
past — with  nothing  but  the  beggar's  hand  forever  outstretched, 
the  cob-web  brain  within  which  spiders  crouch  and  spin,  the 
festering  mind  and  heart  that  hate  movement,  progress,  light, 
knowledge  and  the  manly  independence  and  self-confidence  of 
real  Men! 

In  the  Occident  the  pose  is  different,  the  method  is  differ- 
ent, the  dress  is  different,  the  aspect  is  different,  but  the  Thing 
itself  is  the  same,  and  the  results  are  the  same. 

In  the  East,  the  dirty  fakir  is  content  to  let  the  human 
procession  pass  onward,  satisfied  if  his  beggar  palm  be  crosed, 
and  he  be  left  alone  in  the  glory  of  his  ignorance  and  his  physi- 
cal filth. 

In  the  West  the  fakir  is  not  content  iov  the  procession  to 
pass  on.  He  demaitds  that  the  procession  halt.  He  even  jDlants 
himself  in  its  way,  and  imperiously  commands  it  to  '■^HaltP'' 
He  not  only  craves  that  his  mendicant  hands  be  kept  filled  to 
overflowing,  but  will  be  satisfied  with  nothing  less.  No  mon- 
arch shall  be  so  splendidly  arrayed  as  his  Papa :  no  princes 
shall  parade  in  such  gaudy  vestments  as  his  nobles:  no  palaces 
shall  rival  his  in  royal  appointments:  no  luxurious  living  shall 
compare  with  his:  no  hoards  of  silver  and  gold  and  precious 
stones  shall  equal  his — and  even  then,  he  still  has  demands  that 
remain  to  be  met. 

"Let  me  do  your  thinking  for  you  !"  says  the  Western  fakir 
to  the  Western  world.  "I^t  me  choose  your  books,  mark  the 
limits  of  your  research,  set  the  boundaries  of  your  thought. 


38       ,     POPERY  RHOWX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 


A  MODKRN  VIRGIN  OF   THE   POPE. 


\    POPERY  SHOWN  UP  lO  AMERICANS.  39 

lock  the  doors  which  you  should  not  open,  Avrite  articles  of 
your  faith,  prescribe  the  medicine  for  your  conscience,  nego- 
tiate the  peace  betAveen  you  and  your  ^Slaker,  and  issue  the 
pass-port  from  Time  to  Eternity!" 

He  does  not  squat  in  the  same  attitude,  at  the  same  spot^ 
during-  all  seasons  of  the  year;  he  is  nice  in  his  personal  get-up 
and  habits ;  and  does  not  sit  apart  as  humanity  goes  by.  But 
to  all  intents  and  purposes,  the  Western  fakir  is  just  as  ignor- 
ant, just  as  uncanny,  just  as  much  out  of  place  and  out  of  date 
as  the  hideous  human  bull-bat  that  sits  by  the  dusty  road  in 
Hindustan;  or  the  wooden  idol  that  squats  in  the  joss-house  of 
"the  heathen  Chinee.'' 

The  Devil  who  would  come  to  us  in  the  old  personification 
would  do  us  no  harm.  Seeing  his  horns,  his  tail,  his  feet,  his 
breath  of  flame,  we  would  take  fright,  and  flee. 

The  Devil  has  altered  his  dress  and  his  manners:  he  now 
follows  the  fashion,  and  looks,  for  all  the  world,  like  a  gentle- 
man of  the  most  exquisite  type.  Lucifer  is  Mephistopheles, 
and  the  poor  human  Gretchen  becomes  the  victim,  as  her 
mother  Eve  did,  in  the  Long  Ago. 

In  like  manner,  Superstition  has  put  on  a  modern  mask 
and  a  modern  domino:  but  it  attends  the  carnival,  as  of  yore, 
and  its  victims  are  as  numerous  as  they  ever  were. 

Cardinal,  how  does  it  feel  to  be  an  owl? 

Is  it  difficult  to  keep  your  face  straight  when  you  have  to 
talk  about  Saints  and  relics  ? 

Your  rebuke  of  Dr.  Osier  stirred  my  memory,  and  caused 
an  array  of  relics  to  pass  in  mental  review.  This  array  is 
imposing.  Your  ''collection"'  is  complete.  No  wonder  that 
you  should  be  otfended  Avhen  Dr.  Osier  appears  forgetful  of 
the  curative  virtues  of  these  most  blessed  relics. 

Lest  the  world  in  its  levity  become  unmindful  of  the  inesti- 
mable riches  of  our  Holy  Church,  we  will  mention  a  few  of 
these  marvelous  treasures. 

RELICS  IN  STOCK: 

Item :  The  Cross  upon  which  Christ  was  crucified,  and  the 
nails  that  were  driven  into  his  hands  and  feet,  the  crown  of 
thorns  which  he  wore,  and  the  handkerchief  with  which  his 
face  was  wiped. 

Item  :  We  have  the  lance  with  which  the  soldiers  pierced 
his  side,  the  sponge  that  was  held  to  his  lips,  and  the  pillar 
against  which  he  leaned  at  his  trial. 


40  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

Item :  AVe  have  many  veils  of  the  Virgin  ]\Iarv.  and  quarts 
of  her  maternal  milk,  and  the  house  in  which  she  dwelt. 

Item:  We  have  the  chain  with  which  Paul  was  fettered, 
.  the  rod  with  which  Moses  struck  the  rock,  the  Aviiiding-sheet 
in  which  Christ  was  wrapped,  and  a  phial-ful  of  the  darkness 
which  overspread  Egj'pt. 

Item  :  We  have  the  heads  of  Saint  Anne,  the  mother  of 
Marv — three  at  Rome  and  one  at  Bologna^  making  four  heads 
in  all,  for  this  most  blessed  Saint  Anne.  We  have  thirteen 
heads  of  John  the  Baptist,  one  of  which  is,  of  a  certainty,  the 
identical  head  that  Herodias  danced  for.  and  got.  We  have 
the  ten  heads  of  Saint  James,  the  Great ;  and  the  eight  bodies 
of  St.  Luke. 

Item :  We  possess  six  seamless  garments  that  belonged  to 
Christ,  one  of  which  is  most  assuredly  the  very  same  that  the 
Roman  soldiers  rallied  off.  Also,  a  lock  of  the  Virgin's  hair. 
Also,  a  piece  of  the  tomb  of  Lazarus. 

Item:  We  possess  the  table  on  which  Christ  ate  the  Last 
Supper;  the  slab  on  which  the  Roman  soldiers  cast  dice  for 
Christ's  garment ;  the  first  baby-shirt  that  Jesus  ever  wore : 
and  the  identical  finger  which  the  once  doubting  Thomas— 
now  a  most  blessed  Saint — was  bidden  to  ''reach  hither"'  and 
put  into  the  nail-holes  in  our  Savior'ss  hands  and  feet. 

Item:  Our  most  Holy  ^Mother  Church  possesses  the 
placard  which  Pilate  wrote  for  the  Cross;  also,  the  water-jars 
used  at  the  marriage  feast  at  Cana ;  the  shoes  which  Christ 
wore  when  a  boy;  and  the  reed  which  was  mockingly  placed 
in  his  hands  when  he  was  jeeringly  greeted  as  King  of  the 
Jews. 

Item:  We  have  the  halter  with  which  Judas  hanged  him- 
self !  And  the  wedding  ring  of  Mary  !  And  a  piece  of  Jacob's 
ladder !  And  the  brazen  serpent  which  ]Moses  lifted  up  !  And 
parts  of  the  skeletons  of  the  identical  "innocents"  who  were 
slain  by  the  orders  of  Herod !  And  some  of  the  wine  that 
Christ  made  at  Cana  ! 

Ite7n :  We  have  a  bottle  of  Saint  Joseph's  breath !  Also, 
the  tail  of  the  ass  that  Christ  rode  into  Jerusalem !  Also,  the 
rods  of  Moses  and  Aaron !  Also,  the  roost  from  which  the 
cock  crowed  while  Peter  was  entering  his  third  denial  of  his 
Master ! 

Item:  We  have — and  it  is  the  most  glorious  of  all  our 
most  blessed  relics — a  bottle  that  is  full  of  the  blood  of  Christ 
himself! 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  41 

That  it  is  genuine,  can  no  more  be  gainsaved  than  you  can 
deny  that  we  possess  a  portion  of  the  Virgin's  petticoat". 

bo  we  not  read  in  history  of  tlie  solenni  procession  that 
was  led  by  a  King  of  England,  when  this  most  genuine  and 
holy  relic  was  borne  from  one  church  to  another  in  London, 
some  few  generations  ago? 

Let  us  edify  and  solemnize  ourselves  by  a  re-perusal  of  the 
most  comfortable  and  pious  narrative : 

'"Our  Henry  III.,  summoned  all  the  great  in  the  kingdom  to 
meet  at  London.  This  summons  excited  the  most  general  curi- 
osity, and  multitudes  appeared.  The  king  then  acquainted 
them  that  th  great  master  of  the  Knights'  Templars  had  sent 
him  a  phial  containing  a  small  portion  of  the  precious  blood  of 
Christ,  which  He  had  shed  upon  the  cross;  and  attested  to  he 
genuine,  by  the  seals  of  the  Patriarch  of  Jesusalem  and  others ! 
He  commanded  a  procession  the  following  day;  and  the  histo- 
rian adds,  that  although  the  road  between  St.  Paul's  and  West- 
minster Abbey  was  very  deep  and  miry,  the  king  kept  his  eyes 
constantly  fixed  on  the  phial.  Two  monks  received  it.  and 
deposited  the  phial  in  the  abbey,  'which  made  all  England 
shine  with  glory,  dedicating  it  to  God  and  St.  Edward.' '' 

('•Windsor  Castle."  by  Leitch  Ritchie,  p.  124.) 

But.  Cardinal,  why  is  it  that  these  miraculous  relics  are 
never  used  to  restore  your  health?  Why  is  it  that  your  Holy 
Father,  in  his  recent  dangerous  sickness,  never  once  sought 
relief  from  the  bones  of  the  Saints,  the  relics  handed  down 
from  Apostolic  times,  or  from  any  other  supernatural  agency, 
but  relied  solely  on  mere  human  science  and  nature's  medicines? 

According  to  reports,  the  Holy  Father  came  near  dying: 
yet  none  of  the  Saints  were  invoked  and  none  of  the  relics 
asked  to  work  a  miracle.  The  doctor  Avas  needed :  the  doctor 
was  sent  for :  the  doctor  came :  the  doctor  prescribed  natural 
remedies :  the  doctor  cured  the  patient. 

What  about  it,  my  Prince?  Surely  if  there  be  miraculous 
powers  in  Saints  and  Relics,  those  powers  should  become  irre- 
sistibly active  when  our  Holy  Father  needs  them. 

Is  it  not  so.  my  Prince? 

P.  S.  I  came  near  forgetting  that  one  of  our  most  holy 
relics  is  the  most  venerable  gridiron  in  Avhich  the  blessed 
martyr.  Saint  Lawrence,  was  broiled;  and  that  another  is  the 
slab  on  which  Abraham  fed  the  angels  who  were  enroute  to 
destrov  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 


ANOTHER  MODERN  VIRGIN  OF  THE  POPE.     HE  LOOKS  IT. 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.     43 


CHAPTER  V. 

What  is  the  Roman  System?  a  Religion,  a  Political  Machine,  or  a 
'Business  Proposition;  the  Lord  Himself,  Superseded  by  the  Pope; 
Traffic  in  Papal  Indulgence;  the  Manifold  Vocations  of  St. 
Anthony  of  Padua;  Copies  of  Some  of  the  Laudatory  Letters 
Written  About  Him,  as  Pound  in  Two  Roman  Catholic  Maga- 
zines. 

T  T  TTIlCIi  do  you  consider  the  Roman  system. — a  religion, 
Wf     a  political  machine,  or  a  business  proposition? 

If  your  chief  aim  is  relic/ioiK  why  do  you  have  so 
much  to  do  with  politics  and  finance  ? 

If  your  chief  aim  is  religion,  why  do  you  never  use  the 
Bible,  nor  imitate  Christ  as  to  money-getting? 

If  the  main  object  of  your  elaborate  organization  is  not 
to  amasss  earthly  riches,  and  to  wield  earthly  power,  why  are 
you  so  persistently  demanding  money,  and  reaching  out  for 
the  offices?  Why  have  you  established  a  price-list,  a  market 
report,  which  keeps  the  world  posted  on  all  the  various  fees 
which  you  exact  in  the  performance  of  Christian  duties? 

You  liberate  sinners  from  their  chains;  but  the  sinner  must 
come  down  with  his  cash  before  you  will  pardon  those  sins. 

You  release  condemned  and  tortured  souls  from  Purgatory ; 
but,  unless  the  cash  or  its  equivalent  is  forthcoming,  those  con- 
demned and  tortured  souls  may  continue  to  suffer,  evermore. 

Where  is  your  Scriptural  authority  for  that.  Cardinal  ? 

If.  by  a  few  words  of  supplication  to  the  "Virgin  Mary," 
3"0u  can  bring  etenial  bliss  to  souls  now  languishing  in  tor- 
ment, are  vou  not  a  stonv-hearted  person,  when  a'ou  fail  to 
do  it?  ■ 

If  we  are  taught  to  think  ill  of  the  passers-by  when  they 
neglected  the  wounded  stranger  whom  the  Good  Samaritan 
relieved,  what  must  we  think  of  Christian  priests  who  won't 
open  the  doors  of  hell,  unless  the  gate-receipts  are  satisfactory? 

If  we  are  taught  that  our  Heavenly  Father  is  served,  every 
time  we  visit  the  sick,  clothe  the  naked  and  feed  the  hungry, 
how  much  greater  would  be  that  service  if  we  voluntarily 
emptied  Purgatory  by  prayers  and  intercessions,  freely  ofl'ered 
from  the  hearts  overflowing  with  compassion  for  the  wretched ! 

You.  Cardinal*  stand  committed,  as  a  Romanist,  to  this  dia- 
bolically uncharitable  proposition:     "The  Roman  church  can 


U  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

release  all  the  purgatorial  sufferers,  but  WOX'T,  unless  money 
is  paid  for  the  prayers'' 

Cardinal,  do  you  remember  how  baldly  that  position  of 
your  church  has  Ijeen  exi3ressed  by  your  peddlers  of  Indul- 
gences ? 

The  Archbishop  of  Mentz  said :  "Those  who  wish  to 
deliver  souls  from  Purgatory,  and  procure  the  pardon  of  their 
offences,  let  them  put  money  in  the  hox;  contrition  of  heart,  or 
confession  of  mouth,  is  not  necessary." 

Put  cash  into  the  Church  chest — nothing  more  is  required 
for  the  remission  of  sins. 

No  broken  and  contrite  heart,'  no  grieved^  repentent  soul 
is  needed'.  JUST  PAY  THE  3I0NEY  TO  THE  ROMAN- 
IST PRIEST  •  and^  though  the  sins  he  as  scarlet^  they  shall  be 
washed  whiter  than  snow! 

What  matters  it  if  the  Bible  declares  that  nothing  but  the 
blood  of  Christ  can  cleanse  from  sin  ? 
(Rom.  V.  9;  viii.  I.  John  I.    7and  9.) 

What  though  the  Christian  Church  of  Rome,  for  more  than 
a  thousand  years  held  to  the  Scriptural  doctrine  i 

It  suited  the  mercenary  spirit  of  later  Popes  to  supersede 
God  Himself,  and  they  did  it ! 

Hear  Tetzel,  the  Pope's  agent,  sent  into  Germany  to  sell 
pardons  for  sins — sins  past,  sins  present,  and  sins  future ! 

""Indidgenees  avail  not  only  for  the  living,  h)it  for  the 
dead:' 

Have  you.  stricken  father,  an  unbaptised  infant  in  the 
other  world?  If  so,  it  is  undergoing  agony  in  the  flames  of 
Purgatory.  If  you  love  your  own  child,  and  would  save  it 
from  everlasting  pain,  pay  for  a  papal  Indulgence. 

Have  you,  bereaved  husband,  a  wife  that  died  in  her  sins, 
without  priestly  absolution?  If  so,  she  is  at  the  bottom  of  the 
abyss,  in  the  dread  Beyond:  how  can  you  refuse  to  save  her 
from  further  anguish?  Pay  a  small  sum  to  the  Pope,  and  her 
soul  will  immediately  take  wings  to  heaven ! 

Listen  to  Tetzel,  apjDealing  to  the  ignorant  believers  in  the 
Pope : 

"Do  you  not  hear  your  parents  and  your  other  friends  who 
are  dead,  and  who  are  crying  to  you  from  the  bottom  of  the 
abyss : 

"TT'e  are  suffering  hoirible  torments!  A  trifling  sum  of 
money  wovld  deliver  vs:  you  CAN  give  it,  and  you  u-ill  not:' 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  45 

Think  of  a.  Pope's  agent  making  that  kind  of  appeal  to 
illiterate,  priest-ridden  peasants ! 

Tetzel  continued : 

"At  the  very  instant  that  the  money  rattles  at  the  bottom 
of  the  chest,  the  soul  escapes  from  Purgatory,  and  flies 
liberated  to  heaven." 

"With  twelve  goats,  you  can  deliver  your  father  from  Pur- 
gatory. *  *  I  declare  to  you,  that  though  you  have  but  a 
single  coat,  you  ought  to  str^p  it  off  and  sell  it,  in  order  to 
obtain  this  grace. 

"The  Lord  our  God  no  longer  reigns.  He  has  resigned  all 
poAver  to  the  Pope.''  (See  D'Aubigne's  Reformation,  pp.  86, 
87.) 

Cardinal,  that  is  really  and  truly  the  creed  of  modern, 
infallible  Popery. 

Pardons  for  sins — past,  present  and  future— all  still  ped- 
dled in  Europe. 

Souls  are  still  paid  and  prayed  out  of  Purgatory,  all  over 
the  Roman  Catholic  world — and  even  in  these  United  States. 

Did  you  ever  forgive  a  sin,  My  Prince? 

If  so,  what  is  the  evidence? 

Did  you  ever  pray  a  soul,  out  of  Purgatory? 

If  so,  what  is  the  evidence? 

Where  is  the  proof  that  Popery  ever  cleansed  a  soul  of  its 
sins,  or  got  a  prisoner  out  of  Purgatory  ? 

Inasmuch  as  it  took  the  Romanists  1400  years  to  discover 
that  there  was  a  Purgatory,  it  is  an  awful  thing  to  reflect  upon 
the  myraids  of  incarcerated  spirits  that  did  not  even  get  the 
chance  to  be  paid  for  and  prayed  out. 

Cardinal,  do  you  sometimes  feel  sorry  for  St.  Anthony  of 
Padua  ? 

If  ever  there  was  an  overworked  Saint,  it  is  Anthoney. 

He  is  the  Saint  whose  vocation  in  the  other  and  better 
world  it  is,  to  find  lost  pocket-books,  lost  jewels,  and  lost 
health.  He  is  the  Saint  who  keeps  the  house  from  catching 
a-fire.  He  is  the  Saint  who  finds  a  man  for  the  vacant  job, 
and  a  job  for  the  vacant  man.  He  is  the  Saint  who  hunts  up 
tenants  for  unoccupied  houses,  and  who  tells  absent-minded 
women  where  they  laid  down  their  spectacles,  the  house-keys, 
the  pawn-ticket,  and  the  jewel-case. 

Saint  Anthony  is  perhaps  the  greatest  old  busy-body  in 
the  realms  of  bliss.     He  never  has  the  leisure  to  attune  his 


46  POPERY  8H0WX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

harp,  find  a  comfortable  seat  on  the  damp  clouds,  and  out- 
pour his  devotional  ardor  in  song.  No:  St.  An'tne}'  is  always 
bus}',  looking  for  old  women's  keys,  or  spectacles,  or  pocket- 
books,  or  stolen  hric-a-hrac. 

Think  of  the  trouble  that  old  Saint  must  have  in  discover- 
ing a  man  who  is  willing  to  marry  some  shelf-worn  spinster, 
whom  every  other  man  has  looked  over,  and  passed  up  I 

I  follow  his  jobs  in  the  Romanist  magazines  called  Bethle- 
hem and  The  Messenger — the  last  named,  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Bethelehem  is  printed  in  Europe — in  Switzerland. 

Lest  I  be  accused  of  levit}'  and  slander,  I  copy  some  of  the 
letters. 

These  letters  are  addressed  to  the  JMagazines,  by  sundry 
bipeds  in  whose  behalf  Saint  Anthony  has  labored. 

Here  are  samples: 

I  am  sending  an  offering  in  thanksgiving  for  a  great  favour 
granted,  through  the  holy  intercession  of  Saint  Anthony.  I  liad 
suffered  form  a  severe  pain  in  my  side  for  over  two  years,  and  often 
thouglit  that  I  would  not  live  till  morning.  Last  November  I 
promised  an  offering  to  Saint  Anthony,  and  from  that  time  forward 
I  got  quite  well  and  free  from  all  pain.  I  waited  some  time  to  see 
if  it  would  return,  but  thank  God  it  has  not. — E.  'SI.,  Ireland. 

I  am  sending  you  an  offering  in  thanksgiving  for  a  favour 
granted  through  St.  Joseph  and  St.  Anthony.  I  lost  an  article  and 
at  once  commenced  a  novena,  and  promised  to  have  it  published  in 
the  Bethlehem.  On  the  second  day  the  article  was  restored  to  me. 
Surely  St.  Anthony  is  a  miracle  worker. — A  Lover  of  St.  Anthony. 

I  send  you  an  offering  in  thanksgiving  for  a  favour  granted 
through  the  holy  intercession  of  St.  Anthony.  The  intention  for 
which  I  requested  your  prayers  was  that  I  might  get  a  good  and 
suitable  husband  and  happy  home,  and  thank  God  my  desire  has 
been  granted,  much  to  the  surprise  of  everyone. — I\Irs.  L.,  Ireland. 

I  promised  an  offering  to  St.  Anthony  for  your  School,  if  he 
would  help  my  sister  recover  a  pocket-book,  containing  money  and 
jewelry,  which  she  had  lost.  My  request  was  granted,  the  book 
found  in  a  mysterious  manner. — T.  O'B.,  Brooklyn,  U.  S.  A. 

I  enclose  an  offering  in  honour  of  St.  Anthony  and  for  a  Mass 
for    the    Souls    in    Purgatory.      I    promised    this    offering    to    Saint 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  47 

Anthony,  if  he  would  get  a  tenant  for  a  house  that  was  vacant  for 
months  so  now,  it  is  rented  and  I  hasten  to  fulfill  my  promise.  I 
also  enclose  an  offering  for  a  Mass  of  thanksgiving  in  honour  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  for  all  the  graces  and  blessings  bestowed 
on  us. — 'SI.  B.,  Louisville,  U.  S.  A. 

I  appealed  to  St.  Anthony  to  obtain  an  improvement  in  the 
state  of  my  health.  The  result  has  surpassed  all  my  hopes.  Please 
insert  this  favour  in  your  journal. — H.  B. — St.  G.,  Cote  d'Or 
(France.) 

Enclosed  find  an  offering  to  dear  St.  Anthony,  the  Infant  Jesus, 
His  Holy  :Mother  and  St.  Joseph  for  favours  received.  We  had  a 
contagious  disease  and  two  members  of  the  family  escaped  after 
invoking  our  patron.  The  others  had  a  safe  and  speedy  recovery. 
We  were  also  assisted  in  a  former  sickness  which  I  failed  to  men- 
tion. Dear  St.  Anthony  never  fails  to  help  when  I  invoke  him. — 
B.  M.,  U.  S.  A. 

You  will  find  enclosed  herewith  my  offering,  in  payment  of  a 
debt  to  Saint  Anthony,  who  has  helped  me  in  a  most  providential 
manner  to  find  an  object  which  I  value  very  much  and  which  I 
thought  had  left  behind  me,  when  traveling,  in  the  train.  Now 
after  making  apromise  to  Saint  Anthony,  I  have  found  this  object 
in  a  trunk  where  I  have  no  recollection  of  having  put  it. — M.  R. — C. 
Nievre   (France.) 

A  great  forest-fire  threatened  our  land.  We  appealed  to  St. 
Anthony  who  has  preserved  us  from  the  scourge  we  feared.  Thanks 
to  this  good  Saint. — H.  L.,  Saint-Esprit,  Canada. 

I  Avas  suffering  a  great  pain  in  my  eyes  for  several  days.  Then 
it  occurred  to  me  to  apply  to  the  painful  part,  the  blessed  medal  of 
St.  Anthony  and  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes.  A  great  relief  followed.  I 
thank  my  holy  patron  Saints  and  beg  you  to  publish  this  favor  in 
"Bethlehem." — E.  R.,  U.  C,  Canada. 

A  relation  of  mine  had  some  payments  to  meet  and  had  not 
the  necessary  sum  to  fulfill  the  engagement  at  the  appointed  time. 
She  promised  a  ]Mass  in  honour  ouf  Saint  Anthony,  for  the  Souls 
in  Purgatory,  if  work  arived  in  time.  She  had  no  cause  for  dis- 
appointment in  St.  Anthony. — L.  R.,  Geneva. 


48  POPERY  SHOAVX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

I  had  recommended  myself  to  St.  Anthony  and  to  the  Souls  in 
Purgatory,  promising  a  Mass  and  insertion  in  "Bethelehem'  if  I 
found  a  sum  of  money  which  was  wanted.  INly  prayer  was  granted, 
so  I  hasten  to  fulfill  my  promise  and  recommend  myself  to  the  pray- 
ers of  the  Institute. — D.  T., — B.,  Jura-Bernois. 

I  had  promised  an  offering  if  my  son  obtained  the  situation  he 
wished  for.  The  prayer  was  granted  at  the  very  moment  we  least 
expected  it.  Thanks  to  Saint  Anthony. — A.  G. — T.,  Eure-et-Loire 
(France.) 

San  Antonio,  Tex.,  June  16,  1911.  Last  month  I  had  under  my 
care  a  patient  with  typhoid  fever.  Complications  of  various  natures 
set  in.  The  patient  was  given  up  by  the  attending  physician.  I 
promised  St.  Anthony  to  have  it  published  in  the  Messenger,  and 
also  to  give  an  alms  for  St.  Anthony's  Bread  if  he  should  recover. 
Now,  thanks  to  our  dear  Blessed  Mother  and  good  St.  Anthony,  the 
patient  recovered  and  has  gone  from  the  hospital  completely  cured. 

D.  P.,  Nurse. 

Chicago,  111.,  June  IS,  1911.  Enclosed  you  will  find  the  second 
installment  of  alms  for  the  poor  students  which  I  promised,  if 
father  has  steady  work  and  I  hold  my  position.  Thanks  to  St. 
Anthony,  we  both   still  have  steady  work.  M.  A.   H. 

New  York  City,  June  2  6,  1911.  Enclosed  please  find  an  offering 
for  the  poor  students,  which  I  had  promised,  if  a  certain  sale  should 
be  made  without  trouble.  Thanks  to  good  St.  Anthony  my  petition 
has  been  granted.  M.  E.   S. 

Soldiers'  Grove,  Wis.,  July  i,  1911.  For  passing  the  senior's 
examination  in  the  Madison  ^Musical  College  successfully,  and  also 
for  having  procured  some  pupils,  1'  enclose  an  alms  for  St.  Anthony's 
Bread  in  thanksgiving  to  the  dear  Saint.  A.  V.  F. 

,  July  5,    1911.      For  the  same  favor  mentioned  above  I 

send  you  an  offering  for  the  poor  students  which  I  promised,  if  my 
daughter  was  successful.  Thanks  to  the  S.  Heart,  the  Bl.  Virgin, 
St.  Joseph  and  good  St.  Anthony.  M.  A.  F. 

Cincinnati,  O.,  July  5,  1911.  The  enclosed  offering  for  the  poor 
students  was  promised,  if  my  sister  should  have  a  safe  confinement. 
Thanks  to  the  Infant  Jesus  and  St.  Anthony,  all  passed  off  quietly. 

E.  W. 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 


49 


Elizabeth,  N.  J..  July  5,  1911.  Enclosed  offering  for  St.  Antho- 
ny's Bread  is  in  gratitude  for  a  special  temporal  favor  obtained. 
Please  pray  for  another  favor  to  be  granted.  N.  N. 

Covington,  Ky.,  July,  7,  1911.  For  the  cure  of  an  abscess  in  my 
face  without  having  to  undergo  an  operation,  as  also  for  finding  a 
purchaser  for  mv  house  and  getting  the  desired  price  therefor,  I 
return  sincere  thanks  to  the  Bl.  Virgin  and  St.  Anthony,  and  enclose 
the  promised  offering  for  the  poor  students.  M.  M. 

,  Wis.,  July  7,  1911.     Many  thanks  to  our  dear  Lord  and 

good  St.  Anthony,  also  to  the  Bl.  Virgin  and  St.  Joseph  for  being 
cured  of  a  painful  ailment.  Enclosed  alms  was  promised  for  the 
poor  students. 

-,  Wis.,  July  7,  1911.     Please  accept  the  enclosed  offering 


for  your  poor  students.     I  had  promised  this  if  I  was  successfully 
cured  of  an  ailment  which  caused  me  much  trouble.         A  Friend. 

New  York  City,  July  10,  1911.  In  fulfillment  of  a  promise 
made  if  a  law-suit  was  settled  out  of  court  and  quickly,  I  enclose 
an  offering. 

Hamilton,  O.,  July  13,  1 9 11.  To  express  our  sincere  thanks  to 
the  S.  Heart  and  dear  St.  Anthony  for  protecting  our  stock,  crops 
and  the  family  from  fire  and  storms,  we  enclose  an  offering. 

Mr.   and   Mrs.   J.   H.   S. 

Thanksgivings  Are  Also  Offered. 

For  the  recovery  of  lost  articles:  E.  K.  Winsted,  Conn,  (sum 
of  money.) — M.  McM.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  (a  ring.) 

For  special  favors:      F.  B.,  West  Arichat,  C.  B.— L.  E.,  Clinton, 

]Mich. W.     H.     Frontenac,     Kan. — O.     M.,     Indianapolis,     Ind. — A. 

Reader,   Cincinnati,   O.— M.   S.,   Ludlow,  Ky.— X.   Y.   Z.,   Louisville, 

Ky. A.  V.  F.,  Madison,  Wis. — H.  McD.,  Shenandoah,  Pa.— T.  A.  C, 

Cumminsville,  Cincinnati,  O.— M.  F.,  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.— M.  D.,  ^lan- 
hattan,  111. 

Aliwal  North,  S.  Africa,  June  2,  1913.  A  year  has  elapsed  since 
we  requested  the  prayers  of  the  poor  students  for  a  court  case  on 
which  the  welfare  of  three  families  depended.  Praise  be  to  our 
good  God  who  has  once  again  deigned  to  manifest  the  power  of  His 
great  St.  Anthony,  for  the  case  has  come  off  successfully.       S.  P. 


50  POPERY  SHOAVX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

San  Francisco,  Cal.,  July  l4,  1913.  Enclosed  amount  was 
promised  dear  St.  Anthony  in  return  for  a  watch,  very  much  valued 
as  a  keepsake.  Lost  on  Sunday  evening,  it  was  advertised  in  Tues- 
day's paper,  and  at  9  o'clock  the  same  morning  it  was  returned  to 
me.  The  finder  would  take  no  reward.  I  am  certain  its  return 
was  due  to  dear  St.  Anthony,  for  it  was  found  in  a  different  place 
from  that  mentioned  in  the  advertisement.  Sincere  thanks  to  good 
St.  Anthony.  M.   F.  O'K. 

Camrose,  Alberta,  Canada,  July  18  ,1913.  Last  Fall  I  promised 
St.  Anthony  enclosed  offering,  if  I  would  not  get  the  hayfever 
(asthma),  with  which  I  had  been  afflicted  for  many  years.  As  I 
w'as  spared  last  year,  I  gratefully  now  fulfill  my  promise. 

W.   C.   S. 

Boyd,  Wis.,  July  18,  1913.  The  enclosed  offering  for  the  poor 
students  was  promised,  if  our  business  would  be  profitable.  Thanks 
to  God  and  dear  St.  Anthony,  the  favor  was  granted.  C.  I. 

Mt.  Angel,  Oregon,  July  19,  1913.  A  short  time  ago  we  were 
in  need  of  a  loan  of  money.  Having  been  empowered  by  my  Supe- 
riors to  obtain  the  same,  I  asked  the  assistance  of  dear  St.  Anthony, 
promising  publication,  if  secured.  The  same  week  we  received  the 
amount  desired,  under  more  desirable  conditions  than  we  had  dared 
to  hope  for.  We  had  a  Mass,  said  in  thanksgiving,  and  wish  to 
publicly  thank  good  St.  Anthony.  B.   S. 

Omaha,  Neb.,  July  23,  1913.  Enclosed  alms  for  the  poor 
students  is  in  fulfillment  of  a  promise  to  send  any  money  I  received 
as  a  birthday  present  (July  19)  in  thanksgiving  to  our  dear  St. 
Anthony,  if  he  helped  me  to  meet  some  business  obligations  by  July 
1,  which  he  graciously  did.  J.  M.,  L. 

Cincinnati,  O.,  July  31,  1913.  When  my  daughter  had  an  attack 
of  appendicitis,  I  promised  enclosed  offering  for  the  poor  students 
and  publication  in  the  "Messenger,"  if  she  would  recover  without  an 
operation.     Thanks  to  dear  St.  Anthony,  she  is  well  again.        T.  L. 

Cumberland  Mills,  Me.,  July  31,  1913.  With  enclosed  offering 
r  wish  to  return  sincere  thanks  to  the  S.  Heart,  the  Bl.  Virgin  and 
St.  Anthony  for  the  safe  return  of  a  dear  relative.  A.  L.  S. 

Taunton,   ]\lass.,   July   31,   1913.      This  is  the   remainder  of  the 


POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TU  AMERICANS.  51 

offering  which  I  promised  for  the  poor  students,  if,  through  the 
intercession  of  the  B.  Virgin  and  St.  Anthony,  my  daughter  obtained 
a  position.     With  sincere  thanks  to  both  I  fulfill  my  promise. 

A.  C. 

Providence,  R.  I.,  Aug.  2,  1913.  Fo  a  complete  reconciliation 
with  a  very  dear  friend  whom  I  had  offended,  I  return  sincere  thanks 
to  St.  Anthony,  who  obtained  this  great  favor  from  the  S.  Heart  for 
me.  With  enclosed  alms  for  the  poor  students  and  publication  in 
the  "Messenger,"  I  fulfill  my  promise.  B.  O'N. 

Butte,  Mont.,  Aug.  2,  1913.  The  enclosed  offering  was  promised 
for  the  poor  students,  when  making  a  novena,  that  my  brother 
"would  have  a  successful  operation  of  the  stomach.  With  grateful 
hearts  we  return  sincere  thanks  to  the  S.  Hearty  the  Bl.  Virgin  and 
dear  St.  Anthony  for  the  granting  of  the  request.  B.   H.   P. 

Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  il,  1913.  :My  little  cousin  who  was  visiting 
in  this  city  for  the  first  time,  went  to  a  store  and  coming  out,  lo'st 
her  way.  When  I  heard  this,  I  immediately  promised  St.  Anthony 
enclosed  alms  for  the  poor  students.  I  only  went  to  the  corner  and 
found  her  in  front  of  the  church.     Thanks  to  God  and  St.  Anthony. 

M.  A.   G. 

New  York  City,  Aug.  12,  1913.  About  or  a  little  over  two 
months  ago  I  had  a  severe  and  prolonged  cold  which  I  feared  would 
develop  into  pneumonia  or  consumption.  In  my  distress  I  made  a 
novena  to  dear  St.  Anthony,  bought  a  nice  statue  of  the  Saint, 
candles  and  candle  sticks,  had  them  blessed  and  applied  a  blessed 
medal  of  the  Saint.  Before  the  end  of  the  novena  I  was  cured  both 
in  health  of  body  and  soul;  I  now  gladly  and  gratefully  enclose  the 
promised  offering  for  the  poor  students  and  ask  you  to  have  two 
Masses  offered  in  honor  of  St.  Anthony.  M.   R. 

St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Aug.  13,  1913.  Sincere  thanks  to  dear  St. 
Anthony  and  the  Poor  Souls  for  the  restoration  of  my  health  which 
had  been  seriously  affected  for  a  long  time.  S'.   S. 

Hamilton,  O.,  Aug.  14,  1913.  I  wish  to  return  sincere  thanks 
to  St.  Anthony  for  his  evident  intercession  in  my  behalf  in  a  very 
important  matter.  F.   G.   S. 


52  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

Thanksgirings  Are  Also  Offered. 

For  restoration  of  Health:  N.  M.  B.,  Covington,  Ky.  (for  her 
mtother's  recovery  from  nervous  attack). — Mrs.  C,  Devereaux  Mar- 
blehead,  Mass.   (for  a  safe  confinement.) 

For  obtaining  work:      Mrs.  S.  J.  N.,  Cliicago,  111. 

For  recovering  lost  articles:  Mrs.  J.  S.,  IMilwaukee,  Wis.  (wed- 
ding ring.-) — A.  V.  F.,  Soldiers'  Grove,  Wis.  (lost  check.) — Mrs.  K., 
Cincinnati,  O.   (lost  ring.) 

For  various  favors  not  specified:  R.  McG.,  Chicago,  111. — C.  C. 
H.,  St.  Louis.  Mo. — M.  J.  F.,  Venice,  O. — M.  K.,  Sligo,  Ireland. — 
M.  C,  Plymouth,  Mass. — A.  P.  I.,  Cincinnati,  O. — H.  W.,  Hazle- 
wood,  Pa. — E.  E.  W.,  Manistee,  Mich. — M.  J.  W.,  Stillwater,  Minn. — 
J.  F.  M.,  Lexington,  Ky. — N.  N.,  Cincinnati,  O. — M.  W.  Rochester, 
N.  Y. — W.  C.  Balaton,  Minn. — J.  M.,  Norwood,  O. — D.  B.,  Cleve- 
land, O. — T.  C,  Butte,  Mont. — F.  H.,  Laurium,  Mich. — F.  J.  L., 
Frankfort,  Ky. — N.  N.,  Whitmore  Lake,  Mich. — H.  S.,  Ludlow,  Ky. 
— C.  E.  S.,  Cincinnati,  O. 

Denver,  Col.,  Aug.  14,  1913.  Through  novenas  to  our  Blessed 
St.  Anthony,  I  have  received  an  increase  in  salary,  and  in  thanks- 
giving enclose  an  offering  for  the  poor  students,  asking  their  prayers 
for  various  intentions.  A.  F.  H. 

Butte,  Mont.,  Aug.  19,  1913.  Enclosed  find  an  offering  for  the 
poor  students,  promised  St.  Anthony,  if  an  operation  for  stomach 
trouble  to  be  performed  in  my  brother  was  successful.  Thanks  to 
the  dear  Saint,  the  operation  was  a  complete  success.         IM.  C.  P. 

Eaton,  O.,  Aug.  22,  1913.  I  just  closed  a  very  successful  sale 
on  the  16th  inst.  I  had  promised  St.  Anthony,  I  would  send  a 
check  of  one  per  cent  for  his  poor  students,  if  the  volume  of  busi- 
ness in  the  16  days  amounted  to  $2,200.  As  it  amounted  to  $35 
more  than  I  expected,  I  gladly  enclose  check  to  pay  my  obligation. 

J.  H.  M. 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Aug.  2.5,  1913.  I  wish  to  return  my  sincerest 
thanks  to  the  S.  Heart,  Our  Lady  of  Victory,  St.  Anthony  and  St. 
Rita  for  favor  granted  in  obtaining  me  good  employment. 

J.  J.    McG. 

Blanchester,  O.,  Aug.  25,  1913.  In  thanksgiving  for  a  special 
favor,  we  enclose  an  offering  for  the  poor  students  in  honor  of  St. 
Anthony,  for  having  found  a  valuable  swine,  which  we  feared  we 
would   never  regain.  F.   B. 


POPERY  SHOWX  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  53 

Taunton,  Mass.,  Aug.  25,  1913.  I  am  enclosing  an  alms  for  your 
poor  students  for  obtaining  the  favor  of  a  reconciliation  for  which 
I  am  very  grateful.  R-  D. 

Cincinnati,  O.,  Sept.  1,  1913.  For  the  successful  renting  of  a 
flat  I  send  you  an  offering  for  the  poor  students  in  thanksgiving  to 
St.  Anthony.     The  flat  stood  vacant  only  one  month  and  three  days. 

J.  .  L. 

Cincinnati,  O.,  Sept.  9,  1913.  Enclosed  offering  for  the  poor 
students  is  in  thanksgiving  to  the  Sacred  Heart,  the  Bl.  Virgin  and 

St.  Anthony  for  the  successful  and  speedy  cure  of  my  foot.       B.  B. 

I 

Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  Sept.  il,  1913.  With  sincere  thanks  to  St. 
Anthony,  I  enclose  an  alms  for  the  poor  students  for  a  special  great 
favor  obtained  through  his  powerful  intercession.  We  had  come  to 
California  from  the  East  to  find  a  quiet  home.  But  try  as  we  would, 
we  could  not  find  a  suitable  lot  to  build  a  little  home.  Father  was 
almost  in  despair,  and  mother  would  not  consent  to  bu.lding  a 
house  except  near  a  Catholic  church.  At  last,  when  everything 
looked  gloomy,  I  took  refuge  to  St.  Anthony,  and  succeeded  in 
finding  just  what  we.  sought  for  many  months.  We  are  all  happy 
once  more,  thanks  to  dear  St.  Anthony.  B.  B. 

Tompkinsville,  Staten  Island,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  12,  1913.  For  a  suc- 
cessful operation  performed  on  my  children  and  their  speedy 
recovery  I  enclose  an  alms  for  the  poor  students.  Thanks  to  good 
St.  Anthony  for  his  prompt  help.  H.  J.   B. 

Kaleva,  Mich.,  Sept.  13,  1913.  Some  time  ago  1  sent  you  a 
petition  to  obtain  a  school.  On  account  of  the  number  of  older 
teachers,  it  was  very  difficult  for  a  younger  one  to  obtain  a  position. 
Several  times  all  arrangements  had  been  made  and  then  cancelled. 
At  last  I  resolved  to  invoke  St.  Anthony's  help  through  the  "Mes- 
senger," and  quite  remarkably  the  unexpected  happened,  and  I  was 
given  a  school  far  superior  to  anything  I  could  have  obtained 
through  my  own  efforts.  Therefore,  in  grateful  acknowledgement, 
I  enclose  the  promised  offering  for  your  poor  students.  M.  R. 

Cincinnati,  O.,  Sept.  14,  1913.  Some  weeks  ago  I  asked  St. 
Anthony  to  help  me,  so  I  could  begin  my  studies  at  the  College  of 
Music  not  later  than  September  10th.     With  sincere  thanks  to  the 


54  POPERY  8HOAVX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

dear  Saint,  I  enclose  an  alms  for  the  poor  students,  as  my  petition 
has  been   granted.  ^^-   S. 

— From  St.  Anthony's  IMessenger,  Cincinnati,  O. 

If  a  system  of  so-called  religion  can  bring'  the  human  mind 
to  such  a  feeble,  credulous,  benighted  state,  as  indicated  in 
those  letters,  is  it  good  for  the  believers,  and  good  for  the 
world? 

If  it  is  the  business  of  Saint  Anthony  to  find  tenants  for 
vacant  house,  servants  for  needy  house-keepers,  and  husbands 
for  old  maids,  why  does  he  confine  his  services  to  those  who 
happen  to  know  his  vocation,  and  who  happen  to  1>9  able  to 
pay  for  his  services? 

While  this  Saint  was  engaged  in  hunting  for  the  lost 
pocket-book  and  the  lost  letter  referred  to  above,  it  is  a  great 
pity  that  he  did  not  find  a  safe  pathway  for  the  ships  that 
went  down  at  sea. 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  55 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Great  Power  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  the  United  States; 
Its  Persecutions;  No  Murder  to  Kill  an  Ex-communicated  Person; 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church  Wreaks  Vengeance  on  the  Hugue- 
nots; Flight  of  the  Survivors  to  America;  Criticism,  by  a  Vir- 
ginia Clergyman,  of  Position  Taken  in  Another  Letter  to  Cardi- 
nal Gibbons;  the  Author's  Reply. 

IS  IT  still  the  proud  boast  of  your  church,  that  is  neATr 
changes  ? 

Is  it  always  the  same? 

Unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken,  you  will  haye  to  issue  some 
declaration  upon  that  subject  before  many  .more  months 
elapse. 

Eyen  the  most  casual  obseryer  in  this  country  now  realizes 
that  you  haye  made  jDrodigous  progress  toward  the  control  of 
our  Goyernment. 

Through  Tammany  Hall,  you  dictate  to  the  greatest  of  all 
our  States,  to  the  greatest  of  all  our  cities,  to  the  greatest  of 
all  our  ncAyspapers^  and  to  the  greatest  of  our  National  politi- 
cal organizations. 

To  a  large  extent,  you  control  our  army  and  nayy.  and 
eyen  now  you  are  organizing  your  chaplains  to  strengthen 
your  hold  upon  the  military  and  nayal  establishments. 

Your  yoice  is  potent  in  the  selection  of  Ambassadors  Avho 
represent  us  abroad. 

The  Assistant  President  of  the  United  States  is  a  Jesuit, 
sworn  to  allegiance  to  the  General  of  his  order,  at  Rome,  where 
another  Jesuit,  Merry  Del  Yal.  controls  the  weak  old  creature. 
Joseph  Sarto,  the  present  Pope. 

You  are  trying  to  throw  out  of  the  mails,  books,  maga- 
zines and  newspapers  that  are  objectionable  to  you. 

Men  heretofore  conspicuous  and  honored  in  the  pulilic  life 
of  this  country,  are  now  pursued  by  you  with  malicious  prose- 
cutions, whose  purpose  is  to  silence,  degrade  and  destroy. 

You  are  building  slaye-pens  all  oyer  the  United  States, 
and  you  haye  so  arranged  that  the  city  courts  feed  these  slaye- 
pens  with  a  continuous  supply  of  boys  and  girls,  youths  and 
maidens. 

You  furiously  antagonize  eyery  effort  that  has  been  made 


56 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 


to  put  these  private  prisons  on  a  footing  of  equality  with 
others,  where  the  State  can  inspect  and  supervise. 

In  other  words.  Cardinal,  you  are  building  up  an  empire 
within  the  Empire,  a  jurisdiction  Avithin  the  Jurisdiction.  It 
has  already  become  well-nigh  impossible  to  compel  a  priest 
or  a  nun  to  obey  the  ordinary  processes  of  our  courts,  and  to 
appear  before  these  courts,  as  all  the  rest  of  us  have  to  do. 

We  would  be  A'ery  blind  indeed,  if  we  did  not  see  what  is 
going  on. 

We  would  be  otossIv  recreant  to  the  lilDerties  handed  down 


N. 


i  I 


ROMAN    CATHUI.IC    VIRGINS    W'HOSE    CHASTITY    AND    ROBUSTNESS 

WERE  MAINTAINED  BY  RIGID  ADHERENCE   TO  ICE-W^ATER, 

ARTICHOKES,     LETTUCE     AND     STALE     BREAD. 

to  US  by  our  ancestors,  if  we  felt  no  concern  at  the  growth, 
and  the  encroachment  of  your  fatal  system,  which,  in  the  Old 
World  (h"enched  the  earth  with  martyr  blood,  kindled  the 
fires  around  martyr  victims,  slaughtered  women  and  children 
with  hellish  ferocity,  gloried  in  murder  when  the  murdered 
were  heretics;  and  cursed  with  jDapal  anathema  every  effort 
of  mankind  to  win  those  liberties  which  our  forefathers  won 
and  transmitted  to  us. 

Don  you  stand  on  your  record  ? 

Is  vour  church  ever  the  same? 


POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  lO  AMERICANS.  57 

The  Papa  who  preached  the  first  crusade  declared  that  it 
"was  no  murder  to  kill  an  excommunicated  person.''  This 
benign  Christian  dogma  of  your  Papa  Urban  was  incorj^orated 
in  your  Canon  Law. 

^Mien  this  law  of  j'our  Infallible  church  was  revised  in 
the  IGth  Century  they  retained  the  principle  that  it  w^as  no 
murder  to  kill  a  person  who  had  l^een  turned  out  of  the 
church. 

Is  that  still  the  Law? 

If  not,  when  did  it  cease  to  be  so? 

For  nearly  eight  hundred  j^ears,  that  diabolical  encourage- 
ment to  assassination  has  been  one  of  the  corner-stones  of  your 
religion. 

That's  a  lovely  principle  to  be  a  part  of  a  Christian  reli- 
gion, isn't  it? 

How  do  you  go  about  squaring  it  with  the  teachings  of 
Jesus  Christ? 

The  Savior  never  inflicted  any  wounds:  He  Iiealed  them. 

Christ  did  not  preach  murder  and  hatred :  He  taught  kind- 
ness and  brotherly  love. 

Again  and  again,  He  spoke  to  His  disciples,  saying:  "Love 
one  another." 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  world  was  filled  with  horror  and 
crime  and  hideous  blood-shed,  and  indescribable  barbarities, 
when  the  pope  of  Rome,  claiming  to  speak  as  Christ,  delivered 
over  to  their  enemies  those  people  who  would  not  conscien- 
tiously surrender  themselves,  and  kiss  a  man's  foot? 

I  repeat  the  question :  is  that  frightful  canon  still  one  of  the 
laws  of  your  Church  ? 

If  it  is,  we  have  a  right  to  know  it. 

If  it  is  not,  when  did  your  church  abrogate  it? 

It  will  not  do  for  you  to  say  that  this  Draconian  clause 
never  was  anything  more  than  a  dead  letter. 

Would  to  God  you  and  I  could  truthfully  say  that. 

You  know  perfectly  well  that  every  victim  of  the  Inquisi- 
tion, ever}^  victim  of  the  massacres  in  France,  every  victim 
butchered  in  Ireland,  Ital3^  Germany  and  Portugal,  owed 
their  deaths  to  the  frightful  doctrine  of  your  church, 
taught  through  more  than  eight  hundred  years,  that  it  is  a 
good  deed  to  murder  a  Protestant — so  good  that  one  of  the 
later  jDopes  officially  declared,  that  "such  a  murder  atones,  and 
more  than  atones  for  the  murder  of  a  Catholic  hy  a  Catholic!''' 

Therefore,  it  is  no  wonder  that  Pius  V.,  who  has  been 


58  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

declared  a  saint  by  your  Hierarchy,  first  issued  a  decree, 
depriving  Queen  Elizal>eth  of  her  throne,  she  being  a  Pro- 
testant, and  not  content  with  this  effort  to  discrown  her,  com- 
missioned an  as'sassin  to  take  her  life.  (Referred  to  by  Right 
Hon.  W.  E.  Gladstone,  in  his  ''Vatican  Decrees."  page  G2.) 

Not  long  after  our  American  forefathers  had  established 
themselves  in  Jamestown  and  on  the  coasts  of  Massachusetts 
and  New  York,  there  came  flying  across  the  ocean  hundreds 
of  families,  fleeing  for  their  lives,  escaping  with  the  greatest 
difficulty  from  the  Old  World. 

Who  were  they? 

They  were  the  Huguenots  of  France:  they  were  people 
who  would  not  take  their  religion  from  the  pope;  they  were 
Protestants  who  claimed  the  right  to  worship  God  according 
to  the  dictates  of  their  own  conscience. 

The  French  King,  bred  in  the  orthodox  Roman  Catholic 
faith,  was  determined  to  convert  these  people,  or  exterminate 
them;  his  confessor  told  him  that  it  was  his  religious  duty  to 
reduce  these  heretics  to  submission;  his  pious  mistress  told 
him  the  same  thing:  the  pope,  successor  to  the  saint  who  had 
tried  to  have  Queen  Elizabeth  assassinated,  "implored  the 
King,  during  two  months,  by  his  Nuncio  and  his  Legate,  to 
carry  the  work  on  to  the  bitter  end,  y7itil  every  Huguenot  had 
recanted  or  ferished.'''' 

Those  who  were  seen  crossing  the  ocean  to  make  new  homes 
in  Massachusetts.  Virginia,  the  Carolinas  and  Florida,  were 
the  Protestants  who  were  able  to  escape:  the  others  icere  dead 
— killed  in  the  name  of  Christ,  who  never  Himself,  drew  a 
drop  of  blood  .and  who,  by  His  whole  life,  emphasized  the 
doctrine,  "thou  shalt  not  kill." 

To  Peter,  on  the  very  last  night,  the  divine  command  was — 

'^''Piit  iij)  thy  swordP'' 

By  what  authority,  Cardinal,  did  your  church  afterward 
unsheathe  the  sword,  and  butcher  more  Chnstians  with  it.  than 
ever  fell  beneath  the  conquering  hosts  of  ]\Iahomet? 


{Addenda  to  Chapter  VI.) 

The  following  letter  will  interest  our  readers: 

Dear  Sir:     A  minister  of  our  town,  after  reading  your  6th  open 
letter  to  Cardinal  Gibbons,  commented  as  follows  on  your  argument 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  59 

relating  to  Cardinal  Gibbons'  contention  for  the  perpetual  virginity 
of  Mary: 

"The  17th  chapter  of  Joshua,  from  which  your  conclusions  are 
drawn,  is  not  a  statement  of  the  immediate  family  of  Manasseh, 
but  a  statement  of  the  division  of  land  for  the  tribal  inheritance. 
The  daughters  of  ]\Ienasseh  who  inherited  with  the  sons  are,  simply, 
the  women  of  the  tribe.  Machir  was  the  only  son  of  Menasseh,  the 
tribe  was  small  and  the  inheritance  of  the  women  was  essential  to 
give  to  that  tribe  its  proportionate  part  of  the  land  of  Canaan. 
This  division  of  land  took  place  150  years  after  Menasseh's  death." 

Please  give  your  opinion  of  this  criticism  of  your  position. 

Your  subscriber,  R.  E.  BORDEN. 

Strasburg,  Va. 

COMMENT  : 

Machir,  the  first-born  of  Menasseh,  is  referred  to,  in  the 
Bible,  in  the  same  way  that  Menasseh  is  called  the  first-born 
of  Joseph. 

Time  and  again,  Menasseh  is  called  "the  son  of  Joseph," 
jnst  as  Machir  is  called  "the  son  of  Menasseh." 

The  Biblical  words  which  inform  ns  that  Joseph  had  other 
children,  besides  Menasseh,  are  no  plainer  than  those  which 
tell  us  that  Menasseh  had  other  children  than  Machir. 

See,  Numbe7's  26-27 — ''The  sons  of  Menasseh." 

See,  also.  Chronicles^  7-14:  "The  sons  of  Menasseh;  Ash- 
riel  whom  she  bare;  (but  his  concubine  the  Aramitess  bare 
Machir  the  father  of  Gilead,"  &c.) 

In  this  chapter,  we  are  given,  as  it  were  a  census  by  fami- 
lies; and  thci  names  of  the  children  of  each  family  are 
recorded. 

The  statement  that  Menasseh  had  a  legitimate  son,  named 
Ashriel,  is  as  clear  and  positive  as  any  that  appears  in  the 
Bible. 

But  it  seems  to  me  that  Joshua — 17 :  1  and  2 — are  as  lucid 
and  definite  as  need  be : 

(1)  "There  was  also  a  lot  for  the  tribe  of  Menasseh  (for 
he  was  the  first-born  of  Joseph)  for  Machir.  the  first-born  of 
Menasseh,"  &c. 

(2.)  "There  was  also  a  lot  for  the  rest  of  the  children  of 
Menasseh^  by  their  families  *  *  *  and  for  the  children 
of  Ashriel^''''  &c. 

Is  not  this  plain  enough? 


60  POPERY  SHOAVX  UP  TO  AMEEICAXS.  ^ 

Is  the  Ashriel  here  mentioned  identical  with  the  son  of 
Menasseh,  mentioned  in  Chronicles? 

The  time  of  the  division  of  the  land  is  not  a  matter  of 
importance,  so  far  as  the  question  in  dispute  is  concerned. 

If  the  clergyman  who  agrees  with  Cardinal  Gibbons,  that 
Machir  was  an  only  son.  v:ill  cite  me  to  his  authority^  he  will 
oblige  me.  and  will  let  the  Cardinal  out  of  a  hole. 

The  Cardinal  cited  no  other  evidence  than  the  1st.  verse  of 
17th  Joshua ;  and  that  verse  certainly  does  not  support  His 
Eminence. 

On  the  contrary,  it  supports  my  contention,  by  mentioning 
Machir,  a  first-born,  along  with  Menasseh.  another  first-born. 
We  knoio  that  Joseph  had  other  children,  besides  his  first- 
born, and  we  would  naturally  infer  that  Menasseh  had  others, 
than  his  first-born. 

And  the  positive  statement  in  Chronicles  furnishes  the 
name  of  one  more  son  to  Menasseh ;  to-wit.  Ashriel. 

I  hope  to  hear  further  from  the  clergyman  of  Strasburg, 
Virginia. 

If  Machir,  a  "first-born,"  was  an  only  child,  there  ought 
to  be  some  way  of  j^roving  it, 

(I  never  heard  any  more  from  this.) 


POPERY  SHOWX  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  61 


CHAPTER  YII. 

Criticism  of  tlie  Cardinal's  Article  on  "The  Church  and  the  Repub- 
lic;" the  Cardinal's  Acceptance  of  the  Doctrine  of  Papal  Infalli- 
bility With  an  Exception  Clause;  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
Always  Opposed  to  Liberty  of  the  Press;  Demand  of  the  Ameri- 
can Federation  of  American  Societies  that  Congress  Abridge 
This  Liberty;  Cardinal  Gibbons'  Sanction  and  Encouragement  of 
That  Demand;  Inconsistency  of  His  Conduct  With  the  Views 
Expressed  by  Him  in  The  North  American  Review. 

IX  the  March,  1909,  number  of  the  North  American  Review, 
there   appeared   an   article   in   which  yon   discussed   "The 

Church  and  the  Republic" — the  Pope's  Church  in  its  rela- 
tions, past,  present  and  future,  to  our  Republic.  The  gist  of 
your  carefully  worded  chapter  was,  that  no  confjict  exists 
heticeen  the  creed  of  a  Pctpist,  and  the  dutifid  allegiance  which 
a  citizen  of  this  country  owes  to  its  laws  and  institutions. 

Referring-  to  your  fellow  papists,  you  wrote — 

"They  love  their  country.  *  *  *  They  prefer  its  form 
of  government  before  any  other.  They  admire  its  institutions 
and  the  spirit  of  its  laws. 

They  accept  the  Constitution  without  reserve,  with  no 
desire^  as  Catholics,  to  see  it  changed  in  any  feature.  They 
can  with  a  clear  conscience,  swear  to  uj^hold  it." 

In  another  part  of  your  article  you  subscribe  fully  to  the 
slavish  doctrine  of  Papal  infallibility  which  chains  yoiir  mind 
to  an  Italian's  mind,  chains  your  conscience  to  the  alleged 
conscience  of  an  Italian,  and  makes  your  soul  dependent  for 
its  salvation,  not  on  Christ  or  the  Bible,  but  upon  a  decrepit 
Italian  whose  intellect  never  did  equal  yours  in  native  power, 
or  acquired  culture. 

You  say — 

"Yes ;  we  obey  the  Pope,  for  our  conscience  tells  us  that  we 
ought  to  obey  the  spiritual  authority  of  the  Pope  in  every- 
thing." 

Then  you  slily  add  an  exception: 

"Everything,  except  what  is  sinful."" 

But,  the  very  essence  of  the  doctrine  of  I  nf  all  Utility  is  that 
the  Pope,  when  he  speaks  to  you  on  matters  of  conscsience, 
cannot  be  wrong,  cannot  make  a  mistake,  cannot  commit  sin. 
To  say  that,  in  matters  of  conscience.,  3'our  Papa  can  order  vou 


62  POPERY  SHOWX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

to  commit  what  is  sinful,  is  to  leave  your  Papa  in  the  pitiful 
categoiy  of  common,  clay-made  mortals.  Your  exceftion^ 
knocks  out  your  Infallibility. 

But  we  will  not  linger  upon  this  slippance  of  yours.  You 
were  writing  for  an  American  magazine  whose  readers  are 
largely  non-Catholics:  you  were  sugar-coating  3^our  ancient 
pill  as  sweetly  as  j^ou  knew  how;  your  Jesuit  conscience 
allowed  a^ou  all  the  hand-roomance  you  needed;  and  you 
needed  a  good  deal  of  hand-roomance :  hence,  your  queer  state- 
ment of  an  Infallibility  which  allows  Papa''s  children  to  exer- 
cise their  own  conscience . 

Between  your  doctrine  of  Infallibility,  with  your  Excep- 
tion clause  qualif}nng  it,  and  our  belief  in  the  right  of 
individual  judgment,  there  would  not  be  a  sufficient  difference 
to  justify  another  Thirty  Years'  War,  another  Albigensian 
Crusade,  another  series  of  Waldensian  massacres,  another 
reign  of  helPs  worst  earthly  manifestation,  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic Inquisition. 

But,  you  did  not  mean  to  emasculate  the  doctrine  of  Infal- 
libility. You  dare  not  do  that.  Wlien  that  Italian  master  of 
yours  ordered  you  to  take  the  oath  against  modem  ideas,  mod- 
ern liberalism,  modern  freedom  of  thought,  you  obeyed.  The 
Italian  said,  "Swear!''    And  you  swore,  quickly. 

It  is  one  of  the  psychological  mysteries  that  puzzles  the 
sane,  normal,  emancipated  mind — 

That  so  many  robust  Irishmen,  Germans,  and  Americans 
should  be  eager  to  debase  themselves  at  the  feet  of  an  Italian 
priest,  who  was  never  their  equal  mentally,  physically  or  mor- 
ally. 

Does  it  never  occur  to  these  robust  men  that  there  must  be 
something  intensely  human,  selfish  and  unjust  in  the  invaria- 
ble success  of  the  Italians,  in  running  for  the  of  ice  of  Pope? 

As  already  stated,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  you,  Cardi- 
nal Gibbons,  believe  that  Joseph  Sarto — your  Italian  Papa — ■ 
is  infallible. 

^Vhen  you  and  Joe  were  both  shirt-tail  boys,  you  had 
more  mother  wit  than  he  did.  Joe's  father  was  not  able  to 
take  him  to  Ireland  for  a  fine  education,  as  your  earthly 
father  took  you.  Between  yourself,  James  Gibbons,  and  the 
Italian  priest,  Joseph  Sarto,  there  was  no  perceptible  differ- 
ence, save  that  you  were  an  Irishman,  thoroughly  educated, 
and  placed  in  a  non-Catholic  environment  where  you  had  to 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 


63 


THIS    THE     PAPA,    JOSEPH    SARTO,     DIKED    OUT    IN    HIS    HABER- 
DASHERY 


64  POPERY  SHOWX  UP  TO  AMERICAXS. 

pussy- foot  most  cautiously,  as  you  stepped  around  among  the 

Yet,  because  Joe  Sarto  is  an  Italian,  and  preached  that 
Pius  IX — the  father  of  some  bastards — was  Christ  veiled 
in  the  flesh,  he  was  made  Papa,  and  you  were  left  to  pussy- 
foot among  the  American  eggs.  And  when  the  ignorant 
Sarto  required  you  to  take  an  oath  against  Modern  Times, 
you  ate  humble  pudding,  and  took  the  ignominious  oath. 

Therefore,  I  am  warranted  in  saying  that  you  are  a  good 
Catholic  who  believes  in  the  Infallibility  of  your  Papa. 

Your  PajDa  denies  you  the  right  of  individual  judgment. 
That  is  one  of  the  crucial  tests  of  the  Papacy. '  That  is  where 
the  German  monk,  Luther,  challenged  Rome.  That  is  the 
germ  of  the  Reformation.  That  is  the  central  idea  of  Pro- 
testantism. 

Your  Italian  master  claims  to  be  the  absolute  judge  of 
right  and  wrong — the  absolute,  unerring,  infallible  judge. 

Cardinal  Bellarmine,  with  papal  approval,  laid  down  the 
doctrine,  that — 

'"If  the  pope  should  err  by  enjoining  vices  or  forbidding 
virtues,  the  Church  would  he  obliged  to  helieve  the  vices  to  he 
good^  and  the  virtues  had    *     *     * 

Cardinal,  in  the  Romanist  Council  which  met  at  Baltimore 
in  1884,  you  bore  an  important  part,  and  you  were  one  of  those 
Americans  who  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Pope.  That 
treasonous  oath  reads — 

"I  pledge  and  swear  true  ohedience  to  the  Roman  Pontiffs 
vicar  of  Jesus  Christ,  &c." 

(Yet  an  alien,  seeking  citizenship  with  us  is  required  by 
law  to  renounce  forever  "«?/  allegiance  and  fidelity  to  any 
foreign  prince,  potentate,  state  or  sovereig-nty !'") 

Cardinal,  you  know  full  well  that  Pope  Leo  XIII.  declared 
officially — 

The  Roman  Catholic  must  render  as  ''''perfect  suhmission 
and  ohedience  of  tvill  to  the  Church  and  the  Sovereign  Pon- 

tif,  AS  TO  GOD  himself:' 

(Quoted  in  Dr.  Strong's  "Our  Country,"  p.  66.) 
That  doctrine, — the  doctrine  that,  the  voice  of  the  Pope  is 
the  voice  of  God!  had  been  impudently  taught  for  centuries 
by  an  arrogant  minority  in  3^our  so-called  Church,  was  dra- 
gooned through  the  Vatican  Council  of  1870,  was  scornfully 
rejected  by  such  honest  Romanists  as  Dr.  Dollinger,  Pere 
Hyacinthe,  and  Alessandro  Gavazzi,  was  ruthlessly  enforced  by 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  65 

persecutions,  outlawiT  and  excommunication,  and  is  now  the 
orthodoxy  of  all  "good  Catholics." 

Vicar-General  Preston  proclaimed  it  in  New  York  in  1888 : 
'■'■Christ  speaA's  thorough  the  Poper 

AYith  exuberant  servility,  William  O'Connell,  now  Cardi- 
nal, published  it  in  his  Boston  Pilot,  in  1890. 

In  1912.  the  Pope's  official  representative  to  our  '"Court"' 
at  Washington  announced  the  same  doctrine  in  his  letter  to 
the  Kansas  gentleman,  Thomas  Carey,  who  had  written  Cardi- 
nal Bonzano,  asking  posit:ive  information  on  that  subject. 

'■'Your  political  opinions  must  yield  to  the  interests  of  the 
Church^''''  was  the  gist  of  the  reply  of  the  Romanist  oracle  to 
the  American  Catholic. 

All  this  being  so,  how  dare  you  tell  the  American  people, 
through  the  Xorth  American  Review,  that  you  '''•accept  the 
Constitution,  WITHOUT  RESERVE r 

How  can  you  truthfully  declare  that  3^ou  have  "no  desire, 
as  Catholics,  to  see  it  changed  in  any  feature?"  And  that  you 
Romanists  "can  with  a  clear  conscience  SAvear  to  uphold  it?" 

There  is  hardly  a  principle  dearer  to  liberty  than  the  free- 
dom of  the  Press. 

In  the  British  Parliament,  Richard  Brinsley  Sheridan 
exclaimed,  in  a  famous  burst  of  eloquence, 

"Give  them  a  corrupt  House  of  Commons,  give  them  a 
venal  House  of  Lords,  give  them  a  tyrannical  Prince,  give 
them  a  servile  Court,  and  let  me  have  but  an  unshackled  Press 
— and  I  will  defy  them  to  encroach  one  hairs-breadth  upon 
the  liberties  of  England.'' 

Now.  Cardinal,  you  know  very  well  that  your  Church  has 
always  combatted  the  liberty  of  printing.  You  know  that  you 
shackled  all  the  book-writers,  age  after  age,  and  compelled 
them  to  bring  their  manuscript  to  the  priests,  for  examination 
and  approval  before  they  were  published.  You  know  that 
your  Church  hounded  to  their  death  the  pioneers  of  science, 
of  mechanical  arts,  of  advanced  learning,  of  Progress  of  every 
kind. 

You  know  very  well  that  I  can  furnish  you  with  a  list  of 
the  books  you  condemned  to  the  flames  and  of  the  authors  .you 
murdered  with  your  devilish  persecutions.  AVill  you  chal- 
lenge me  to  publish  the  list? 

But  I  will  not  deal  with  ancient  history,  lest  you  say  in 
avoidance,  that  the  Church  is  no  longer  animated  hy  the 
Medievalism  which  plunged  Europe  into  The  Dark  Ages. 


66  POPERY  SHOAVN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

Let  us  see  what  modern  Popes  have  prochiimed  upon  this 
all-important  subject. 

In  language  of  ferocious  imprecation,  damning  to  hell 
everybody  who  believed  to  the  contrary,  Pope  Gregory  XVI., 
in  1831,  anathematized  "those  who  maintain  the  liberty  of  the 
press."  (See  Right  Honorable  AVilliam  E.  Gladstone's  "Vati- 
can Decrees,''  page  13.) 

In  words  of  inextinguishable  hatred,  your  Italian  Church 
has  always  condemned  liberty  of  speech,  and  of  publication. 
What  else  does  your  Index  of  Prohibited  Books  mean  ?  That 
proscriptive  Index  originated  with  Bargia,  the  Pope  known 
as  Alexander  VI. — a  Pope  who  kept  his  acknowledged  concu- 
bine, Julia  Farnese.  in  the  Vatican  itself,  and  one  of  whose 
bastard  sons  murdered  another  while  both  lived  with  the  Pope. 

You  say,  ijou^  that  you  accept  our  Constitution  without 
reserve,  when  that  Constitution  declares  that  Congress  shall 
have  no  power  to  abridge  the  freedom  of  the  press ! 

How  can  you  say  it,  when  your  infallible  Papa  devotes  to 
the  fires  of  an  everlasting  Inferno  those  who  maintain  the 
principle  that  is  embedded  in  our  highest  law? 

Cardinal,  j^ou  must  have  been  personally  acquainted  with 
Pope  Pius  IX. — at  any  rate,  you  must  be  familiar  with  every 
important  deliverance  which  he  made  to  the  priesthood.  Your 
own  ecclesiastical  career  was  contemporaneous  with  his ;  and  it 
was  he  who  sicore  you  to  jyersecute  the  non-Catholics  when 
he  made  you  a  Cardinal. 

In  1864,  you  were  the  private  secretary  of  Archbishop 
Spalding,  and  soon  became  the  assistant  chancellor  of  the  Sec- 
ond Plenary  Council  of  your  Church  held  in  Baltimore,  in 
1866. 

You  could  not  have  been  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  Pope 
Pius  IX.,  your  then  Italian  master,  was  bitterly  against  the 
freedom  of  the  press,  for  he  had  published  an  Encyclical  to 
that  effect,  just  as  his  predecessor  Gregory  had  done. 

If  you  believe  in  and  maintain  the  freedom  of  the  press, 
you  are  anathema^  cursed  by  your  General  Councils,  cursed  by 
the  record  of  your  church,  cursed  s]:)ecificallv  bv  Greo-orv  the 
XVI.,  and  by  Pius  IX. 

How  is  it,  my  Prince? 
You  know  that  in  his  Encyclical  letter  of  June  20,  1888, 
Pope  Leo  XIII.  declared — 

"//  imhricUed  license  of  speech  and  of  writing  he  granted 
to  (dh  nothing  irill  remain  sacred  and  inriolate^ 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  67 

That  declaration  is  ex-cathedra,  it  is  from  the  source  infal- 
lible, it  is  the  voice  of  Christ  speaking  through  your  Italian 
Papa,  it  binds  you  in  conscience  and  under  your  solemn  oath. 

But  how  does  it  consist  loith  our  Federal  Constitutia^n? 

Your  American  Federation  of  American*  Societies,  in 
national  conventions,  has  demanded  that  Congress  "abridge 
the  liberty  of  the  press,''  by  penalizing  attacks  on  the  Roman 
Catholic  Faith. 

You,  Cardinal  Gibbons,  have  given  your  sanction  and 
encouragement  to  that  violation  of  a  fundamental  principle  of 
our  Government,  its  highest  law,  and  its  institutions. 

Hovr  does  your  conduct,  and  the  conduct  of  your  church, 
in  this  matter,  consist  with  what  you  wrote  for  The  Niorth 
American  Review? 


68  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Mutilation  of  Choir  Boys  a  Practice  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church; 
the  Practice  of  Felony,  and  Punishable  by  Law;  Girls  Attending 
Convent  Schools  Given  Medicinal  Preparation  to  Prevent 
Menstruation;  Horrible  Results  of  this  Fiendish  Cruelty;  Perse- 
cution of  the  Author  by  Cardinal  Gibbon§;  Controversion  of  the 
Cardinal's  Statement  in  The  North  American  Review,  That  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  Prefers  the  American  System  of  Govern- 
ment to  Any  Other. 

DO  yoii  believe  that  one  man  has  the  right  to  sell  another ? 
You  will  certainly  answer^  '"No." 

Do    yon    believe    one    man    has    the    right    to    maim 
another? 

You  will  probably  answer,  "No." 

Yet,  your  church  has.  for  ages,  been  exercismg  the  right 
to  castrate  little  boys,  to  preserve  that  falsetto-soprano  voice 
which  is  so  conspicuous  in  your  choir  service. 

You  have  had  much  to  say  about  the  martyrdoms  of  the 
early  Christians.  In  j^aintings  which  are  immortal,  you  have 
pictured  upon  canvas  the  agonies  of  those  who  were  doomed 
by  cruel  emperors  to  suffer  for  their  faith. 

Did  you  ever  stop  to  think  that  there  are  some  misfortunes 
which  men  consider  worse  than  death? 

When  your  fanatical  monks  seized  upon  the  liberal,  pro- 
gressive scholar,  Abelard^  and  desexualized  him,  the  enlight- 
ened world  was  horrified. 

The  literature  of  after-ages  rang  with  the  reproach  of  it. 

But,  it  was  considered  an  isolated  case. 

The  fact  is,  it  was  not-an  isolated  case. 

Your  church  makes  a  regular  business  of  the  unnatural 
crime  of  depriving  males  of  their  manhood. 

Go  to  a  full-sexed,  full-blood  man  of  today,  and  put  the 
question  to  him — when  he  has  the  mumps,  for  instance — and 
he  will  tell  you  he  would  just  as  lief  be  dead,  as  to  lose  his 
virility. 

How  geat,  then,  must  be  the  crime  of  the  prnest  and  the 
ohiirch,  when  a  fnU-sexed  hoy  is  mutilated. 

Such  a  boy  had  the  right  to  love  and  be  loved. 

He  had  the  right  to  woo  and  to  win  the  maiden  who  cap- 
tured his  heart. 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 


69 


He  had  the  right  to  take  such  maiden  to  wife  and  to  have  a 
home  circle,  made  musical,  and  bright,  and  happy  with  the 
prattle  and  caresses  of  children. 

Cardinal,  don't  you  think  it  was  an  awful  crime  against 
humanity  to  seize  that  boy  and  castrate  him  ? 

Was  it  not  more  cruel  than  to  have  thrown  him  to  the  lions 
in  the  arena  ? 

Out  of  mere  vanity,  the  desire  to  have  better  music  in  your 
choirs  than  other  churches  can  furnish,  you  have  deliberately, 
and  for  ages,  sacrificed  full-sexed  youths,  in  defiance  of  the 


ANOTHEK  ("OUPLE  OF  THE   POPE'S  VIRGINS.      THEY  NEVER  TASTE 
WaNE   NOR   MEAT.      YOU   CAN  SEE   IT   IN    THEIR   FACES. 

laws  of  man  and  of  God,  committing  a  felony,  punishable  by 
a  term  in  the  penitentiary,  and  annulling  the  decree  of  God, 
who  gave  that  masculine  equipment  to  the  boy,  in  order  that 
he  might  mate  with  some  congenial  woman,  and  bring  forth 
children  to  perjDetuate  the  human  species. 

Cardinal,  you  dare  not  deny  this  accusation. 

You  know  it  to  be  the  literal  truth. 

How  can  you  defend  it  ? 


Cardinal,  do  you  deny  that  it  is  a  practice  in  some  of  your 


70  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

convents,  where  girls  are  kept  at  school,  to  dose  them  in  a 
preparation  Avhich  prevents  menstruation? 

I  challenge  you  to  deny  it.  and  I  invite  you  to  defend  it. 

What  right  has  your  church  to  interfere  with  the  course 
of  Nature? 

A^Hiat  right  have  your  priests  and  your  nuns  to  set  aside 
the  laws  of  God.  in  order  to  save  a  laundry  bill,  and  some 
possible  disability  from  labor? 

The  laws  of  Nature  and  of  God  cannot  be  violated  with 
impunity. 

To  every  such  violation,  a  penalty  is  attached. 

When  you  suppress  the  monthly  illness  of  adolescent  girls 
and  of  young  women,  you  assume  a  frightful  responsibility. 

Who  pays  the  penalty? 

Not  your  bachelor  petticoated  hypocrites,  who  perpetrate 
this  outrage  upon  the  other  sex. 

It  is  the  woman  who  pays,  as  usual.  Either  in  the  mad- 
house, or  upon  the  doleful  list  of  the  incurable  invalids,  the 
victim  of  your  hellish  methods  has  to  pay  outraged  Nature's 
inexorable  penalty. 

Cardinal,  you  are  a  Jesuit. 

You  took  an  oath  to  persecute  such  men  as  I. 

Through  the  Knights  of  Columbus  you  are  doing  it. 

Using  the  powerful  machinery  of  the  Federal  Government, 
you  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus  are  trying  to  crush  an 
individual. 

"What  is  my  offense? 

I  sent  through  the  mails,  one  diapter  of  a  book  which  your 
church  has  been  sending  through  the  mails  for  decades. 

That  chapter  was  taken  from  a  book,  from  which  your 
theological  students  are  taught  their  duties. 

That  chapter  tells  the  theological  student  what  questions 
they  must  ask  of  married  women,  and  of  maidens  when  they 
•come  to  confess  their  sins  to  you,  in  the  privacy  of  the  con- 
fessional box. 

YOU  say  those  questions  constitute  obscene  literature,  and 
that  they  should  not  be  sent  through  the  mails. 

You  say  I  should  be  put  in  the  penitentiary,  because  The 
Jeffersonian  Publishing  Company  sent  those  questions  through 
the  mails. 

"\Miat,  then,  should  be  done  to  the  priests  who  defile  the 
ears  and  the  souls  of  womanhood  with  those  vile  questions? 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  71 

If  those  questions  constitute  obscene  literature,  are  not 
your  priests  guilty  of  using  obscene  language  in  the  presence 
of  females,  when  they  ask  those  vile  questions  of  Roman 
Catholic  wives,  sisters  and  daughters  ? 

If  I  am  to  be  punished  because  my  Company  mailed  those 
questions,  ought  not  your  priests  to  be  punished  for  using  that 
obscene  language  in  the  presence  and  hearing  of  females? 

In  your  paper  which  the  North  American  Review  pub- 
lished, you  solemnly  assured  the  world  that  your  church  pre- 
fers our  form  of  government  to  any  other,  that  you  admire 
our  institutions  and  the  spirit  of  our  laws,  that  you-  accept 
our  Constitution  without  reserve,  and  without  any  desire  to 
see  it  changed  in  any  feature. 

Yet,  Cardinal,  the  greatest  historic  fact  of  modern  times, 
since  Luther  defied  your  putrid  Italian  hierarchy,  is,  that  our 
forefathers  created  this  self-governing  Republic  as  an  escape 
from  the  foul,  debasing  partnership  of  Popes  and  Kings.  Our 
ancestors  fled  from  the  Old  World  to  establish  a  government 
which  would  not  be  cursed  by  your  despotic  methods  and  your 
detestable  doctrines. 

Cardinal,  the  very  soul  of  your  system  makes  for  slavery — 
slavery  of  mind  and  spirit  and  body,  slavery  which  renders 
to  self-appointed  masters  the  toil  of  the  physical  man ;  slavery, 
which  surrenders  to  self-chosen  masters  the  gocl-given  light  of 
reason  and  conscience;  slavery,  which  robs  the  pitiable  serf 
of  the  freedom  to  see  with  his  own  eyes,  to  hearken  to  the  voice 
of  his  own  intelligence,  and  to  make  for  'himself  the  golden 
strand  which  links  his  faith  to  the  Eternal. 

Cardinal,  the  whole  record  and  energy  of  your  infernal 
organization  of  fraud,  hypocrisy  and  imposture  makes  for 
ignorance,  superstition  and  despotism :  your  supreme  theory 
is,  that  there  shall  be  one  man.  at  the  head  of  the  State,  and 
one  man  at  the  head  of  the  Clinch:  and  that  these  two  shall 
divide  between  themselves  the  dominion  of  the  universe. 

Cardinal,  the  underlings  of  the  world  have  risen,  in  spite 
of  you.  Never  did  the  banner  of  your  church  float  over  the 
shining  legions  of  '•Liberty,  Equality,  Fraternity."    Never! 

The  iron  sceptre  of  the  brutal  King  and  his  ferocious  feu- 
dal lord  was  broken,  in  spite  of  you.  Never  did  your  church 
lift  a  finger  to  lighten  the  load  of  the  feudal  serf  and  to  send 
a  ray  of  hope  into  his  squalid  hovel. 

The  brain  of  the  world  escaped  bondage,  the  voice  of  the 


72  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

scholar  and  the  patriot  broke  silence,  the  pen  of  the  Idol- 
breaker  leaped  to  life,  waking  nations  to  freedom — in  spite  of 
you.  Never  did  your  church  have  aught  but  the  dungeon, 
the  rack,  the  fagot,  the  headsman's  block  for  the  Spartan 
torch-bearers  of  enlightened  civilization. 

All  history  bears  Avitnes.s  against  you.  Your  own  horrible 
record  damns  you.  The  voice  of  patriots,  scholars,  soldiers, 
lovers  of  humanity  and  liberty,  choking  with  blood,  denounce 
you.  If  the  men  and  women  of  today  had  not  been  falsely 
taught  by  just  such  sly  deceivers  as  yourself,  an  involuntary 
burst  of  scorn  and  execration  would  have  greeted  your  state- 
ment that  your  church  heartily  approves  the  spirit  of  our 
laws  and  accepts  without  reserve  the  principles  of  our  Con- 
stitution. 

Cardinal,  lohen  and  where  has  your  church  favored  the 
separation  of  Church  and  State? 

AVhen  and  where,  has  your  church  sanctioned  freedom  of 
speech,  of  press,  of  conscience,  and  of  worship? 

AMien  and  where,  has  your  church  pretended  to  support 
a  democracy,  a  republic — any  other  form  of  government  than 
a  monarchy? 

"NAlien  and  ^vhere  has  your  church  helped  the  under  dog, 
stood  for  the  rights  of  the  wife  and  the  child,  demanded  fair 
treatment  for  Labor,  proclaimed  the  emancipation  of  Woman? 

When  Kings  and  hereditary  aristocrats  laid  the  scourge  of 
intolerable  pillage  and  forced  labor  upon  the  miserable  white 
slaves  of  Europe,  your  church's  whip-cords  drew  blood  even 
as  did  the  lash  of  King  and  noble  I 

AMien  wives  had  no  freedom,  no  voice,  no  house  of  refuge 
from  slave-driving  husbands;  when  even  the  babes  they  had 
borne  were  snatched  from  their  bosoms,  and  the  State  gave 
no  redress,  your  church  gave  none. 

'\^Tienever  oppressed  humanity  rose  in  desperation,  striv- 
ing to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  serfdom,  there  was  your  church 
ever  found,  ready  and  eager  and  pitiless,  with  book  and  bell 
and  candle,  to  consign  everlastingly  to  hell  the  victims  who 
sought  escape  from  tyranny. 

Is  it  not  so,  my  Prince? 

Did  not  your  church  exploit  the  slave,  throughout  the 
mediaeval  ages? 

Did  not  your  church  merge  the  wife's  existence  into  that 
of  the  husband,  and  diA^est  her  completely,  first  of  her  estate, 
and  then  of  the  fruit  of  her  womb  ? 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 


73 


Did  not  voiir  church  sanction,  for  priest  and  hiy  lord,  the 
feudal  right  which  gave  the  first  night,  the  bride  and  the 
h'ridal  led,  to  priest,  or  noble? 

Did  not  your  church  bless  the  swords  Avhich  tried  to  beat 
down  the  Dutch  Republic?  Did  not  your  church  savagely 
make  war  upon  the  cruelly-burdened  peasants  of  Germany? 

Did  not  your  church  lay  its  anathema  upon  the  Great 
Charter  which  Englishmen  wrung  from  a  Norman  Conqueror? 

Did  not  your  church,  by  written  deed,  convey  Ireland  to 
Norman  marauders,  stipulating  for  a  share  of  the  loot? 


TTAH'      TW^O    MORE    OF   THE    POPE'S    PERPETUAL   VIPjGINS. 
HAH.       {^^\>^  *^V^^HE    EARLY    SAINTS    LIVED:— SEE    TEXT. 
FOR  FULL  EXPLANATION, 


THEY 


Did  not  vour  church  ruthlessly  persecute  every  free  thinker 
who  dared  'to  deny  that  the  earth  was  flat,  that  there  were 
other  worlds  than  this,  that  science  could  cure  where  relics 
could  not,  and  that  the  wine  and  the  bread  of  the  Last  Supper 
remained  wine  and  bread  in  spite  of  the  Latin  words  of  a 
stupid  priest? 

Cardinal,  do  vou  reallv  flatter  yourself  that  you  can  per- 
suade the  American  people  that  your  Italian  pope  is  not  the 
same  old  Italian  pope,  heir  of  the. same  old  system,  successor 


74  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

to  the  same  old  pagan  impostors  who  so  long  capitalized  the 
inherited  superstitions  of  mankind? 

Do  you  truly  believe  you  can  convince  our  people  that  your 
Ethiopian  can  change  his  skin;  your  leopard,  his  spots? 

Cardinal,  I  laugh  at  your  attempt.  You  will  fail.  As 
your  two-faced  church  always  has  done,  you  will  fail.  True, 
you  got  a  good  start.  Owing  to  our  inclination  to  let  matters 
drift,  and  to  be  over  confident  that  what  happened  in  Europe 
can't  happen  here^  you  have  made  astonishing  progress. 

We  are  a  liberal  people:  we  don't  like  to  hurt  feelings: 
we  naturally  shun  disagreeable  subjects;  we  are  prone  to  let 
things  rock  along  in  their  own  way.  It  takes  great  provoca- 
tion to  rouse  us ;  but  when  we  are  aroused — look  out ! 

Cardinal,  this  country  is  not  going  to  be  ruled  from  Italy, 
by  a  lecherous  lot  of  chemise-wearing  Italians. 
Don't  you  think  it — not  for  a  moment. 

This  country  is  not  going  to  be  taken  back  to  the  Council 
of  Trent,  nor  to  the  Castle  of  Canossa.  This  people  are  not 
going  to  have  their  blood-bought  liberties  submerged  by  pajDist 
hordes  from  popish  Europe ! 

Cardinal,  when  you  w^rote  that  your  church  heartily 
endorsed  the  spirit  of  our  laws  and  the  principles  of  our 
Constitution,  you  uttered  a  barefaced,  monumental  falsehood ! 
Being  a  Jesuit,  your  moralitiy  encourages  you  to  deceive. 

AVith  you  Jesuits,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  morality  that 
frustrates  the  aims  of  your  order  and  your  church.  Your 
morality  sanctions  duplicity,  mendacity,  any  sort  of  crime,  if 
thereby  the  interests  of  the  organization  be  served. 

Is  it  no  so.  my  Prince?  Dcnwnd  that  I  prove  it,  AXD  I 
WILL! 

Let  us  not  waste  time  over  ancient  history:  let  us  recur  to 
your  own  times  and  your  own  ministry,  to  discover  whether 
you  could  have  been  honest,  in  telling  our  people  that  your 
church  approves  our  institutions  and  our  laws. 

(1)  One  of  our  institutions  is,  our  Public  Schools.  Have 
not  you,  yourself,  denounced  that  institution?  Have  not  all 
your  higher  prelates  done  so?  Did  not  Archbishop  jNIessmer, 
of  ^lilwaukee,  threaten  to  excommunicate  those  of  his  church 
who  patronized  the  Public  Schools? 

In  that  respect,  he  faithfully  oheyed  the  papal  lau\  as  laid 
down  hy  Pope  Pius  IX. 

(2)  Another  of  our  institutions  is,  a  free  press.  Did  not 
your  infallible  Papa,  Gregory  XVI.,  denounce  all  those  who 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  75 

maintained  the  liberty  of  the  press:  and  did  he  not  use  the 
most  ferocious  epithets  in  his  denunciation?  Did  not  youi 
Papa  Pius  IX.  in  1864.  do  the  same  thing? 

Sworn  to  obey  the  Italian  pope,  and  to  persecute  to  extir- 
pation all  those  'fellow  creatures  of  yours  Avho  are  lud  toot- 
kissers,  how  can  you  decently  contend  that  you  heartily 
approve  the  American  law  and  institution  of  tlie  free  press? 

(8)  Cardinal,  you  cannot  be  ignorant  ot  the  tact  that 
Pius  IX,  in  ISerand  again  in  1864.  fulminated  savagely 
against  liberty  of  speech,  and  of  conscience,  and  of  worship! 
How  then,  dare  you  to  contend  that  your  churuch  favors- 
our  American  law  of 'free  speech,  free  conscience,  free  worship? 
(4)  Cardinal  you  know  very  well  that  your  church  claims 
the  right  to  fix  the  line  between  civil  and  religious  authority; 
that  she  claims  the  right  to  employ  force;  that  she  claims  the 
right  to  supremacy  in  her  own  sphere,  she  herself  lemg  the 
sole  indqe  of  the  limits  of  that  sphere.  ■,     •     ^-     i 

You  know  that  herein  lies  the  fatal  gem  of  ecclesiastical 
despotism,  as  boundless  and  as  dangerous  as  it  ever  was 
tliundered  in  the  Dark  Ages.  .      i         .i 

Yet  you  tell  us  to  rest  at  ease :  there  is  no  cloud  on  the 
horizon:"  there  is  no  significance  in  the  current  that  slowly 
makes  its  circle,  on  the  onter  nm  of  the  maelstrom! 

Does  the  same  tree  always  bear  the  same  fruit?  Does  the 
sowino-  of  dragon's  teeth  always  portend  the  upsprmgmg  crop 
of  armed  men  ?  Shall  any  man  deceive  himself  as  to  what  the 
serpent  will  do,  when  once  it  has  been  warmed  into  life  at  our 
hearth  ? 


POPERY  SHOWX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Natural  for  Men  and  Women  to  Mate;  Traces  of  it  From  Childhood 
Days  to  Maturity;  the  Curious  Lock  Invented  to  Keep  Married 
Women  Chaste;  Man  the  Only  Living  Crature  That  Uses  Sensu- 
ality for  Pleasure  Alone;  the  Effort  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  to  Condemn  Healthy  Young  People  to  Perpetual  Vir- 
ginity Unnatural;  Old  Maids  and  Bachelors  Looked  on  With 
Disfavor;  Roman  Catholic  Priests  Should  Marry;  the  Example 
of  Judas  Iscariot,  Who  Was  Unmarried,  Followed  by  the  Roman 
Catholic  Priests. 

THE  full  sexed  man  yearns  for  a  mate :  the  normal  woman 
wants  a  husband  and  children. 

The  little  bo}-  makes  him  a  mud-house,  and  chooses 
a  sweet-heart,  long-  before  the  age  of  puberty.  Without  being 
conscious  of  what  it  is,  the  boy  is  borne  along  by  the  tendencies 
of  sex.  After  awhile,  his  dreams  will  be  voluptuous.  The 
physical  contact  with  girls  will  sexually  excite  him.  As 
he  groAvs  older,  this  desire,  and  curiositi/  becomes  stronger. 
Many  boys  relieve  themselves,  unnaturally  and  injuriously,  by 
masturbation.  Others,  run  after  loose  girls.  Some  will  exert 
self-control  and  find  partial  relief  in  nocturnal  emissions. 

The  greater  number  of  full-sexed  men  either  sow  wild  oats, 
or  marry  early.  Of  course  there  are  very  many  who  become 
rakes,  and  never  become  heads  of  families.  So,  ther?  are 
considerable  numbers  who  are  confirmed  practisers  of  onanism. 

The  girPs  first  love  is  a  doll ;  then  a  play-house.  The 
serious,  unwearied  pains  that  a  mere  tot  will  take  in  arrang- 
ing, adorning  and  keeping,  her  doll's  play-house,  is  one  of 
the  most  pathetic  and  deep-meaning  commonplaces  of  human 
life. 

As  I  look  back  over  my  own  journey,  one  of  the  pictures 
most  vividly  stamped  on  my  recollection,  is  that  of  my  two  little 
girls,  in  the  play-house,  under  the  bay-window.  The  nice  and 
orderly  arrangement  of  its  small  details,  the  efforts  to  make  it 
pleasing  to  the  eye,  the  placing  of  pretty  bits  of  china  and 
glassware;  the  ribbons  knotted  and  festooned  here  and  there; 
the  flowers  in  the  tiny  vases;  the  toy  brooms  which  swept  it 
clean;  and  then  the  motherly  care  and  tenderness  and  pride 
in  the  placing  of  the  dolls ! 


POPERY  SHOAVN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  77 

They  had  their  names,  these  dolls;  and  thej^  were  babies,  in 
terms  and  endearment,  to  those  two  little  mothers.  The  dolls 
were  bathed  and  dressed  and  fed  and  put  to  sleep  with  mater- 
nal solicitude.  Alas !  They  were  sometimes  spanked  for  mis- 
iDehavior. 

They  went  visiting,  these  dolls  did;  and  they  gave  parties 
which  other  dolls  gaily  attended.  There  Avere  tiny  plates,  and 
cups,  and  saucers,  and  teapots;  and  the  entertainment  was  a 
joyous  reality,  rather  than  a  make-believe,  to  the  tots  con- 
cerned— those  who  brought  their  dolls  to  the  party,  or  those 
whose  dolls  gave  it. 

Xearly  every  father  will  recognize  the  familiar  picture; 
and  every  father  of  girls  will  agree  with  me  that  the  first 
development  in  girls,  makes  for  motherhood. 

Happy  is  the  maiden  who  goes  to  her  mother^  with  all  her 
questions  and  all  her  troubles.  She  will  need  caution,  warn- 
ing, anxious  instruction,  constant  care.  Nature  is  in  the  warm 
blood  of  the  girl,  and  she  must  not  trust  her  strength  too  far. 

The  sneaking,  sly  inclination  of  which  Robert  Burns  wrote, 
is  to  be  dreaded,  and  it  must  never  be  given  opportunithj. 

"L^ad  us  not  into  temptation !"' 

Happy  the  maiden  who  knows  the  danger,  and  shuns  it, 
giving  no  opportunity  to  the  tempter. 

Why  do  so  many  girls  go  astray?     Nature. 

Why  are  there  so  many  women  living  in  vice?    Nature. 

It  has  always  heen  so. 

The  professional  courtesan  is  the  protectress  of  many  a 
pure  girl.  The  rake,  himself,  might  be  a  seducer.,  were  he  not 
content  with  the  loose  women  so  easy  of  access. 

In  Dr.  Sanger's  History  of  Prostitution,  you  will  be  startled 
by  the  statistics  which  show  that  such  a  large  per  centage  of 
prostitutes  live  that  way,  from  inclination. 

The  good  men  and  women  who  devote  theniselves  to  Rescue 
Work,  will  tell  you  that  the  greatest  obstacle  in  their  way  is, 
that  the  xvomen  do  not  want  to  he  rescued. 

Do  we  not  know  what  human  nature  is?  Have  we  not 
heard  and  seen  enough,  yet? 

The  Bible  tells  us  what  the  carnal  man  craves,  what  the 
unrestrained  woman  will  do.  Was  it  a  mere  flagi-ant  insult 
to  the  Jewesses  of  antiquit}^  when  the  Law  forbade  them  to 
have  sexual  intercourse  with  four-footed  beasts? 

Was  there  never  a  foundation  in  fact  for  the  story  of  Leda 
and  the  Swan  ? 


78  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

Will  we  never  take  to  heart  the  meaning  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  ? 

Christ  Himself  could  not  move  around  among  men,  teach- 
ing and  healing,  without  stumbling  upon  a  couple  brutishly 
copulating — and  the  woman  is  "taken  in  the  act!'' 

In  all  the  histories,  the  story  is  the  same.  Assyria  was 
sensual,  Egj^pt  was  sensual.  Babylon  was  sensual,  Greece  and 
Rome  were  sensual.  According  to  the  Catholic  Rabelais,  the 
sexual  sin  of  his  times  was  the  wallow  of  priests  and  layman, 
king  and  peasant.  According  to  the  Catholic  Erasmus,  the 
sexual  sin  of  his  times  was  the  mire  of  all  classes.  According 
to  the  Councils  of  the  Catholic  church,  and  the  fulminations 
of  Popes,  the  sexual  sin  threatened  to  bring  down  the  very 
frame-work  of  society. 

In  the  Middle  Ages,  and  down  to  comparatively  modern 
times,  the  sexual  passions  of  men  and  women  were  known  to 
be  so  strong,  that  a  curious  kind  of  lock  was  invented,  whereby 
a  husband,  going  upon  a  journey- to  distant  parts,  might  lock 
his  wife,  until  his  return. 

This  lock  was  ingeniously  contrived.  It  was  arranged  cun- 
ningly upon  the  woman's  body,  so  as  to  render  her  safe  from 
men.  and  yet  free  to  exercise  the  necessary  functions  of  nature. 

But  we  are  told  by  the  historians  that  these  locked-up 
ladies,  indignant  at  the  jealousy  of  their  lords  and  at  having 
to  wear  these  cunning  locks  about  their  waists,  found  a  method 
of  unlocking  the  device :  thus  triumphantly  demonstrating  the 
truth  of  the  adage  that  Love  laughs  at  locksmiths. 

All  of  these  things  we  know,  or  ought  to  know,  for  we  have 
had  line  upon  line,  and  precept  upon  precept,  from  the  dawn 
of  Creation,  to  convince  vs  of  the  danger^  the  universality,  and 
the  power  of  the  sexual  passion. 

We  have  seen  conquerors,  like  Marc  Antony,  throw  a  Avorld 
away,  for  a  wanton  woman.  We  have  seen  nations  wage  war 
about  it.  We  have  seen  individuals  ruined  by  it.  We  have 
seen  nations  ruined  by  it. 

We  know  that  it  maddens  the  rapist,  strips  woman  of  her 
decency  and  makes  her  a  nymphomaniac. 

It  caused  the  untimely  death  of  Alexander  the  Great,  and 
well-nigh  wrecked  Julius  Caesar. 

It  made  a  crazy  man  out  of  Henry  of  Xavarre.  and  killed 
each  of  the  Kings  who  were  the  sons  of  Catherine  de  Medici. 
It  contributed  to  the  death  of  Peter  the  Great.  It  killed  the 
great  general  of  France,  Marshal  Saxe.     It  killed  the  great 


POPERY  SHOAVN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  79 

general  of  Russia,  Skobeleff.  It  sapped  the  vitality  of  the 
royal  families  of  Valois,  of  Bourbon,  of  Stuart  and  of  Han- 
over. 

It  burnt  out  the  vigor  of  the  Mohammedan  conquerors, 
the  ]^Iooul  Emperors,  and  the  Tartar  Khans.  It  has  made 
fffeininatc  every  nation,  and  every  line  of  monarchs,  that  ever 
ALLOWED  NATURE  TO  HAVE  A  FREE  REIN  WITH 
THE  ANIMAL  PASSION. 

For,  mark  this!  the  hinnanAdnd  is  the  only  kind  that  uses 
sexuality  for  ijleasure^  only. 

The  male  quadruped  has  connexion  with  the  female  for  the 
purpose  of  veirroduction.  It  is  the  odor  of  the  female  that 
inflames  the  male.  That  odor  ceases  when  she  has  been 
impregnated,  and  the  male  never  teazes  her  again. 

In  the  animal  kingdom,  exclusive  of  Man.^  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  immorality.  There  are  no  libertines,  no  rakes,  no 
concubines,  no  procurers,  no  places  where  females  of  pleasure 
are  kept  for  the  use  of  males. 

There  are  no  brothels  among  the  brutes  or  the  birds:  and 
there  are  no  celibate  priests !  Animated  Nature  has  no  use  for 
a  monk,  or  a  nun. 

The  sexual  passions  of  animals  serve  no  other  purpose  than 
that  of  nature.  Males  and  females  copulate  to  produce  more 
males  and  females.  That  is  all :  pleasure,  for  pleasure's  sake,  is 
unknown  to  natural  intercourse  of  the  sexes.  The  pleasure 
was  meant  to  be  incidental  and  compensatory — for  the  act 
itself  is  filthy;  and  to  the  weaker  sex,  the  consequences  are 
painful. 

This  much  I  have  written  as  preliminary  to  the  statement 
that  the  Roman  Catholic  church  attempted  the  unnatural  and 
the  impossible,  when  it  undertook  to  condemn  thousands  of 
healthy  young  people,  of  both  sexes,  to  perpetual  virginity. 

Nature  never  intended  it  so:  Nature  will  not  allow  it  so: 
and  Nature  never  will  tolerate  it  so.  Nature  ahhors  that,  AND 
THE  CHURCH  IS  NOT  STRONGER  THAN  NATURE. 

From  the  remotest  ages,  down  to  the  present  time,  a  certain 
degree  of  blame,  or  of  discredit,  has  afflicted  the  spinster,  the 
barren  wife,  and  the  man  who  is  either  incapable  of  marriage 
duty,  or  unwilling  to  perform  it. 

This  feeling  is  much  weaker  in  our  day  than  formerly,  but 
traces  of  it  are  clearly  to  be  seen.  Every  girl  dreads  being 
called  "an  old  maid.''  This  moral  cowardice,  resulting  from 
fear   of  the    reproach   which   cruelly    punishes   spinsterhood. 


80 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 


often  drives  young  Avomen  into  hurried  and  unhappy  wed- 
lock. 

If  a  married  man  is  known  to  be  impotent,  he  becomes  an 
object  of  pity,  or  of  contempt.  Even  now,  the  law  gives  his 
wife  a  divorce. 

As  to  the  "old  bachelor,"  he  is  rareh'  loved:  most  people- 
regard  him  as  one   of  three  things — a   cynic,   a   roue,  or  a 
eunuch.     He   is   considered   to  have   shirked   the   duties   and 
res^Donsibilities  of  life.     If  his  excuse  is  a  good  one,  he  is  to 


THESE     TYPICAL     IRISH     PRIESTS     NEVER     TASTED     WINE,     NOR 

MEATS,     NOR     ANY     OTHEH     THING     THAT     COULD 

NOURISH    ANIMAL   HEATS. 


be  pitied :  but  if  he  had  no  valid  reason  for  his  flunk,  he  is 
treated  with  more  or  less  disfavor. 

In  so  modern  a  book  as  our  Bible,  we  see  the  odium  which 
fixes  itself  upon  the  barren  wife.  We  see  in  all  parts  of  it  the 
duties  of  the  martial  union.  -We  see  that  the  mating  of  the 
■two  sexes  was  planned  from  the  beginning;  and  that  no  other 
idea  than  that  of  sex-union,  and  the  bringing  of  children  into 
the  Avorld  can  be  found  in  the  Scriptures. 

In  the  Old  Testament  there  is  no  hint  of  monl's,  unmarried 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  81 

and  immarriageable  monks:  none  Avhatever.  Nor  is  there  the 
slightest  hint  of  nuns. 

In  the  New  Testament,  ^/^^  ice  noiv  hare  U,  there  is  a 
reference  by  Christ  to  men  who  are  born  enniichs,  or  men  who 
have  caused  themselves  to  be  made  enniichs,  in  order  that  thej' 
might  devote  themselves  wholly  to  the  service  of  God. 

But  you  may  search  the  Scriptures  from  cover  to  cover  in 
the  ell'ort  to  find  the  text  which  warrants  the  belief  that  men 
and  women,  full-sexed,  can  live  in  perpetual  virginity,  and 
you  won't  find  it! 

No  such  text  is  in  the  Book. 

The  whole  Bible,  so  far  as  it  bears  upon  sex,  makes  for 
matrimony  and  procreation. 

No  Jesuitical  sacuit,  no  tonsured  juggler  with  truth  and 
facts,  can  escape  that  proposition. 

God  Himself  instituted  marriage  and  condemned  monasti- 
cism,  when  the  Garden  of  Eden  was  changed  from  a  hermit 
solitude  nto  a  blooming  jDaradise,  where  Eve  was  the  sweetest 
blossom  that  flowered. 

If  the  old  story  in  Genesis  is  nothing  more  than  Oriental 
allegory,  its  deep  truthfulness  is  not  the  less  clear,  for  ive 
know  ''it  is  not  good  that  the  man  should  be  alone." 

To  the  happily  married  man,  we  can  say — 

Without  your  wife,  you  were  incomplete:  without  you., 
your  wife  was  incomplete :  mated,  you  both  were  complete ; 
and  when  the  children  came,  your  home,  be  it  ever  so  humble, 
was  Paradise. 

The  men  of  old  who  walked  with  God,  were  married  men. 
The  patriarchs,  the  Jewish  priests,  the  inspired  prophets,  were 
men  who  took  wives  and  begot  children.  Do  you,  Cardinal 
Gibbons,  agree  with  the  Romanists  of  Belgium  and  Spain  that 
the  Bible  should  be  tampered  with  by  striking  out  the  words — 
^^AU  the  prophets  had  ivivesf'' 

Paul  says,  "'Marriage  is  honorable  to  all." 

Should  he  have  excepted  the  priests?  If  it  were  right  that 
he  should,  how  can  we  account  for  his  omission  i  If  we  are 
to  assume  that  he  knew  what  he  meant,  and  meant  what  he 
said,  how  can  we  escape  the  conclusion  that  marriage  is  hon- 
orable to  all? 


82  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

And  the  word  "all."'  will  have  to  include  the  priests, 
won't  it? 

Then  if  it  be  honorable,  according  to  Paul  for  priests  to 
marry,  why  don't  they  do  the  honorable  thing,  and  marry? 

Christ  chose  married  men  for  his  disciples. 

If  Peter's  wife's  mother  was  sick,  as  the  Bible  tells  us, 
then  Peter  must  have  been  married  he  fore  Christ  chose  him, 
or  he  married  after  he  was  chosen. 

Take  either  horn  of  the  dilemma,  and  celibacy  is  gored. 

The  Popes  who  condemn  the  inarr'mge  of  Christian  priests, 
CONDEMN  PETER.  AND  CONDEMN  JESUS  CHRIST, 
AND  CONDEM  THE  GOD  ^VHO  GAVE  EVE  TO  ADAM! 

But  Peter  was  not  the  only  apostle  who  had  a  wife.  Philip, 
the  evangelist,  is  said  to  have  had  four  daughters :  therefore, 
he  had  had  at  least  one  wife — unless  indeed,  we  resort  to  the 
theory  which  the  modern  example  of  Popes,  Cardinals,  bish- 
ojDS,  &c.,  have  made  so  familiar  to  scandalous  chronicles. 

But  if  Philip's  four  daughters  were  bastards,  like  the 
daughters  of  modern  Popes,  they  would  hardly  have  been 
alluded  to  in  the  Scriptures. 

Paul  states  that  James  and  Jude,  sons  of  the  Virgin  Mary 
and  hrothers  of  Jesus,  were  married  men. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  seems  that  the  New  Testament 
justifies  the  contention  that  Judas  Iscanot  was  the  only  mem- 
ber of  the  original  Twelve  who  did  not  have  a  wife ! 

Judas  Iscariot  teas  the  first  Christian  ceNhate;  and  the 
Popes  of  Rome,  when  thev  forbade  the  priests  to  marry,  ivere 
foUounng  THE  EXAMPLE  OF  JUDAS,  instead  of  \hat  of 
Peter! 

Cardmal  Gibbons,  what  have  you  to  say  to  that? 

Any  one  who  will  read  the  instructions  which  Paul  puts  in 
writing  for  the  priests  of  the  Christum  Church,  will  be  con- 
vinced that  the  Apostle  took  it  for  granted  the  greater  num- 
ber of  them,  would  he  married  men. 

His  advice  and  guidance  is  based  upon  that  assumption. 

The  wives  of  the  deacons  must  be  women  of  seemly  beha- 
vior, grave,  sober,  considerate  of  speech — not  given  to  tattling, 
and  undignified  levity.  Let  the  deacons  avoid  polygam^'^  be 
content  with  one  wife  at  a  time,  govern  the  children  properly, 
and  keep  a  decent,  orderly  house. 

The  wife  of  the  bishop  must  be  hospitable^  in   addition 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  83 

to  all  other  g-ood  qualities;  and  she  and  the  bishop  must  con- 
trol their  children,  setting  a  good  example  of  rule^  thus  enab- 
ling the  bishop  to  win  more  confidence  from  his  church. 

So  thoroughly  does  Paul  understand  that  normal  men  must 
have.  wiA-es,  even  though  they  serve  God  in  the  priesthood,  that 
he  almost  commands  the  deacon  and  the  bishop  to  take  one 
wife.  Otherwise,  Paul  would  have  been  talking  nonsense 
when  he  warned  those  holy  men  against  taking  two  or  more 
wives  at  the  same  time. 

And  why  did  the  inspired  Paul  take  so  much  pains  to  lay 
down  the  rules  for  the  behavior  of  the  bishop's  wife  and 
children,  if  the  bishop  was  not  to  have  a  wife  and  children? 

Paul  argues  that  the  wisdom  learned  by  the  husband  and 
father,  in  the  governing  of  his  family,  will  be  of  service  to 
the  priest  in  the  governing  of  his  flock  in  the  church. 

And  yet,  after  the  Christian  priests  for  hundreds  of  years, 
had  been  imitating  Peter,  imitating  the  brothers  of  our  Lord, 
and  obeying  the  precepts  of  Paul,  the  ambitious  Popes  of 
Rome  set  up  the  example  of  Judas  Iscariot,  and  ordered  the 
priests  to  imitate  the  disciple,  the  celibate  traitor  who  sold  his 
God! 


84  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  A:MERICAXS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Priests  Imitators  of  the  Priests  of  Maia  and 
Those  of  Bacchus;  the  Confessional  and  the  Convent  Introduced 
to  Affor<i  Them  a  Substitute  for  Marriage;  the  Keeping  of  Fire 
Made  a  Religious  Function;  the  Romans  Copy  the  Albans;  the 
Six  Vested  Virgins  Difficult  to  Obtain;  Evil  Effects  of  Celibacy; 
Udaldric's  Story  of  What  Was  Found  in  the  Fish  Ponds;  Ber- 
nard's Views  on  Celibacy;  the  University  of  Oxford's  Complaint; 
the  Roman  Clergy  in  Scotland  as  Pictured  by  McCrie. 

IX  ancient  times,  the  priests  of  Maia,  the  Virgin  Mother  of 
one  of  the  incarnations  of  Buddha,  were  eunuchs,  either 

born  sexless  or  made  so  by  surgical  operation.  These  monks 
of  Maia  shaved  the  tops  of  their  heads,  and  were  fond  of 
public  processions,  thus  setting  examples  which  the  priests  of 
Rome  were  soon  to  follow. 

The  priests  of  Bacchus  were  not  allowed  to  marry ;  but  they 
were  free  to  indulge  themselves  with  women,  the  Confessional 
giving  them  the  secrets  of  the  sexually  loose  votaries,  and  the 
opi^ortunities  for  indulgence. 

This  Bacchic  confessional  and  sexual  license  was  quickly 
adopted  hj  the  Roman  priests,  aftei^  enforced  bachelorhood 
had  become  the  inexorable  rule  of  papal  discipline.  Let  it  be 
kept  in  mind,  constantly,  that  the  ceJihacy  of  the  Ronuni  Cath- 
olic ^ynests  came  before  the  adoption  of  auricular  and  jyrivate 
confession  by  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 

See  how  it  Avas  designed : 

The  priests  were  denied  wives :  they  were  given  the  secluded 
confessional:  at  confession,  the  women  revealed  their  weak- 
nesses to  the  bachelor  priests — and  the  privacy  of  the  box 
itself,  as  well  as  the  nearness  of  the  sacristy,  afforded  the 
opj)ortrni/ty! 

Thus  the  Confessional  and  the  convent  were  set  up  to  give 
the  priests  a  substitute  fo'^  marriage. 

In  the  olden  time,  the  keeping  of  fire  was  a  matter  of  the 
utmost  importance.  There  were  no  easy  methods,  such  as  we 
now  have,  of  re-kindling  the  flames.  Hence,  the  preservation 
of  the  fire,  so  that  the  city,  or  the  tribe,  or  the  whole  nation, 
should  not  be  left  in  darkness  was  made  a  religious  function. 

To  let  the  light  go  out,  was  a  public  calamity:  hence  offi- 


POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 


85 


cials  were  appointed,  supported  and  rewarded,  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  guarding  and  renewing  the  sacred  flame.  The 
punishment  of  neglect,  was  death. 

The  Romans  copied  the  Albans,  who  entrusted  the  fire  to 
four  virgins.  The  Alban  system  was  the  forerunner  of  all  the 
nunneries  which  have  since  existed  in  Europe. 

Servius  Tulhis,  the  Roman  King,  increased  the  number  of 
the  Virgins  to  six.  At  that  number  it  stood  for  centuries.  In 
the  fourth  century  of  our  Christian  era,  the  number  of  Vestals 
was  increased  to  seven,  and  so  it  remained  to  the  end. 


IS 

E 

^^ 

sSv*""^ 

.fe 

^^mi 

p^ 

Hl 

^  "fA> 

^mr^ 

^ 

r^ 

B 

m 

1 

1 

!.' 

*i'^ 

1 

j 

1 

1 

FAT    AND    GRO.SS    LIKE    THE    OTHERS.       YET    THEY    ARE    VIRGINS. 

THEY   COOL   THE   WARMTH   OF    THE    BLOOD    BY    STANDING 

IN    ICE-PACKS,    ROLLING    ON    THE    SNOW,    RUNNING- 

IN   THE    WOODS,    &C. 

To  insure  the  selection  of  Virgins,  no  girl  was  chosen  who 
was  more  than  ten  years  old.  The  term  of  service  was  thirtj' 
years.  After  that  period,  the  Vestal  could  leave  the  temple, 
freed  of  her  vows,  and  at  liberty  to  marry. 

Although  the  number  of  required  Virgins  was  so  very 
small,  and  the  rewards  of  her  station  so  rich  and  regal,  it  was 
with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  the  Roman  world  could  supply 
six  maidens  who  would  undertake  the  vows  of  chastity.  And 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  doom  of  the  erring  Vestal  was 


86  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

burial  alive,  it  was  found  that  even  this  frightful  punishment 
could  not  restrain  the  natural,  irresistible  sex-inclination  of 
those  six  women. 

Yet,  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  asks  mankind  to 
believe  that  it  expected  hundreds  of  thousands  of  women  to 
keep  the  vows,  when  they  were  secluded  in  convents  to  which 
the  priests  had  freedom  of  access ! 

Does  not  the  history  of  the  Roman  Church  drip  with  the 
slime  of  celibacy  and  the  Confessional  ? 

Paul  had  dwelt  upon  the  scandals  of  the  unmarried  state, 
and  had  roundly  declared  that  young  widows  should  marry. 
No  reason  could  be  given  in  such  a  case  that  would  not  apply 
to  young  bachelors  and  young  widowers. 

The  earliest  church  writers  express  their  horrors  of  celi- 
bacy, and  describe  conditions  which  decent  language  avoids. 

Ireneeus,  Epiphanius,  Cyprian,  and  Chrysostom  bewail  the 
widespread,  cankerous  vice,  writing  of  the  licentiousness  of  the 
priesthood  as  universal;  and  t<his  was  prior  to  the  discipline 
which  made  celibacy  obligatory. 

"\Miat  Irenteus  says  of  the  practical  results  of  bachelor- 
hood, is  corroborative  of  what  Paul  implies  in  his  letter  to 
Timothy. 

"\Miat  Cyprian  says,  is  so  very  literal  and  shocking  that  it 
cannot  be  printed.  Unnatural  indulgence  teas  always  the 
resnlt  of  denying  nature  her  rights. 

AYhat  Chrysostom  says  corroborates  Cyprian,  and  paints 
a  filthy  picture  of  the  bachelor  priests  of  the  third  century. 

"Alas,  my  souls!"  cries  the  golden-mouthed  Christian: 

"Our  virginity  has  fallen  into  contempt:  the  veil  is  rent 
\)j  impudent  hands,  that  parted  it  off  from  matrimony.  *  * 
That  which  was  once  held  in  reverence,  (celibacy)  as  far  more 
excellent  than  matrimony,  is  now  sunk  so  low,  as  that  one 
should  rather  call  the  marnecl  hlessed.     *     * 

Nor  is  it  the  enemy  that  has  effected  all  this,  but  the  vir- 
gins themselves." 

This  admission  is  made  by  one  who  had  warmly  advocated 
the  celibacy  of  the  priesthood. 

At  the  Council  of  Nice  in  o'25,  when  a  decree  was  about 
to  be  introduced,  enjoining  celibacy  of  the  clergA^  Paphnutius, 
an  unmarried  bishop,  testified  against  it  on  the  ground  that 
such  a  prohibition  would  produce  great  immorality,  and  was 
contrary  to  Scripture. 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  87 

Udalric.  bishop  of  Auousta,  who  wrote  a  letter  to  Pope 
Nichohis  I.,  in  which  he  says  concerning  Poj^e  Gregory  the 
Gi-eat.  who  reigned  in  COO.  '"That  Gregory  the  Great,  by  his 
decree,  deprived  priests  of  their  wives;  when,  shortly  after, 
he  commanded  that  some  fish  should  be  caught  from  the  fish 
ponds,  the  fishers,  instead  of  fish,  found  the  heads  of  six 
thousand  infants  that  had  been  drowned  in  the  ponds.  ^Y\\en 
Gregory  ascertained  that  the  infants  thus  killed  were  born 
from  the  concealed  fornications  and  adulteries  of  the  priests, 
he  forthwith  recalled  his  decree,  and  purged  the  sin  with 
worthy  fruits  of  repentance,  extolling  the  apostolic  command : 
"It  is  better  to  marry  than  to  burn,"  and  adding  from  him- 
self: "It  is  better  to  marry  than  to  be  the  occasion  of  death.'' 

Bernard,  who  died  in  936,  utters  the  followng  complaint 
in  his  sermon  to  the  clerg}^  on  conversion:  "If,  according  to 
the  prophecy  of  Ezekiel,  we  could  look  behind  the  partition, 
that  we  might  see  the  horrible  things  in  the  house  of  the  Lord, 
perhaps  the  foulest  things  would  appear  on  the  inside  of  the 
partition.  Nay,  besides  fornications,  adulteries,  and  incests, 
there  are  not  wanting  among  some  the  most  shameful  ignomi- 
nious conduct.  Would  that  the  apostles  never  had  written 
such  things,  that  it  would  not  be  necessary  for  us  to  speak  of 
them,  so  that  no  credence  would  be  given  to  those  who  mention 
what  sometimes  occupies  the  human  mind — what  abominable 
lust !  alas !  the  enemy  of  man  has  defiled  the  body  of  the 
church  with  the  exorable  ashes  of  the  Sodomites:  and  indeed 
the  most  filthy  and  abominable  crimes  have  defiled  some  of 
its  very  ministers  also.  Many,  not  indeed  all,  but  many,  it  is 
certain,  cannot  be  concealed  on  account  of  their  multitude,  nor 
do  they  lament,  by  reason  of  their  impudence,  and  many  are 
seen  to  have  employed  this  licentiousness  for  an  occasion  of 
the  flesh,  abstaining  from  the  nuptial  remedy,  and  hence  using 
this  liberty  of  theirs  for  perpetrating  every  crmie.  Would 
that  those  who  cannot  contain  would  fear  to  give  their  course 
the  name  of  celibacy.  It  is  better  to  marrv^  than  to  burn,  and 
to  be  saved  in  the  humble  grade  of  the  common  people,  than 
to  live  worse,  and  to  be  judged  severely  in  the  sublime  rank 
of  the  clergj^  Take  away  from  the  church  honorable  mar- 
riage and  the  bed  undefiled,  and  do  you  not  fill  it  with  con- 
cubines, incestuous  persons,  onanists,  male  concubines,  and 
with  every  kind  of  unclean  person  ? 

In  the  Eleventh  century,  the  secular  or  parochial  clergy 
kept  women  generally  in  their  houses,  upon  more  or  less  terms 


88  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICAXS. 

of  familiarity,  by  a  connivance  of  their  ecclesiastical  superiors, 
which  almost  amounted  to  a  positive  toleration.  The  sons  of 
priei^ts  Avere  capable  of  inheriting,  bv  the  laws  of  both  France 
and  Castile. 

The  third  Lateran  Council,  held  in  1179.  speaks  of  the 
detestable  custom  of  keeping  concubines,  long-  used  by  the 
English  clergy. 

Innocent  III.,  who  died  in  1227,  declares:  "That  certain 
Latin  priests  had  concubines  in  their  houses,  and  some  were 
not  afraid  to  betroth  or  marry  them." 

Nicholas  de  Clemangis,  about  1400.  says:  'Tn  many  dio- 
ceses the  rectors  of  parishes,  for  a  certain  stipulated  sum  to 
the  prelates,  generally  and  publically  have  concubines." 

The  University  of  Oxford,  at  the  king's  command,  drew 
up  forty-six  articles  stating  abuses  that  needed  reformation, 
to  be  laid  before  the  Council  of  Constance,  which  sat  in  1414. 
The  thirty-eight  article  represents:  "That  the  carnal  and 
debauched  lives  of  the  clergy  in  our  days,  and  their  public 
fornications  which  are  never  punished.  excejDt  with  a  small 
fine  in  private,  set  an  evil  example  before  others:  it  would, 
therefore,  b?  a  holy  thing,  and  contribute  to  the  reformation 
of  the  church,  if  priests  of  every  rank  and  order,  who  were 
public  fornicators,  were  obliged  to  abstain  from  saying  mass 
for  a  limited  time." 

The  following  picture  of  the  Roman  clergy  in  Scotland  is 
given  by  M'Crie  in  his  Life  of  John  Knox :  ""Inferior  l3enifices 
were  put  up  to  sale,  or  bestowed  on  the  illiterate  and  unworthy 
minions  of  courtiers;  on  dice  players,  strolling  bards,  and  the 
bastards  of  bishops."  "Again,  the  lives  of  the  clergy,  expected 
from  the  secular  jurisdiction,  and  corrupted  by  wealth  and 
idleness,  were  become  a  scandal  to  religion,  and  an  outrage  to 
decency.  While  they  professed  chastity,  and  prohibited,  under 
the  severest  penalties,  any  of  the  ecclesiastical  order  from 
contracting  lawful  wedlock,  the  bishops  set  the  example  of 
the  most  shameless  profligacy  before  the  inferior  clergy; 
avowedly  kejDt  their  harlots,  provided  their  natural  sons  with 
benefices,  and  gave  their  daughters  in  marriage  to  the  sons  of 
the  nobility  and  the  principal  gentry;  many  of  whom  were 
so  mean  as  to  contaminate  the  blood  of  their  families  by  such 
base  alliances,  for  the  sake  of  the  rich  dowries  which  they 
brought."  To  make  out  the  above  statement  of  M'Crie,  there 
is  no  need  of  going  to  the  testimony  of  the  reformers,  or  to 
satirical  poems  published  at  the  time.    The  truth  is  registered 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  89 

in  the  acts  of  parliament,  in  the  decrees  of  their  own  councils, 
and  in  the  confessions  of  their  own  writers. 

In  an  act  of  parliament  passed  in  England,  on  February 
19th,  1548,  it  was  stated :  "That  great  filthiness  of  living, 
with  other  inconveniences,  had  followed  on  the  laws  that  com- 
pelled chastity,  and  prohibited  marriage ;  so  that  it  was  better 
they  should  be  suffered  to  marr}'  than  to  be  so  restrained." 
(Elliot  on  Romanism.) 


90  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMEPvICAXS. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Nonsensical  Ideas  of  the  Early  Religious  Zealots;  Their  Absurd 
Methods  of  Curbing  Their  Natural  Inclinations;  the  Fatal  Error 
Made  in  Ordaining  Negroes  to  the  Priesthood. 

RELIGIOUS  zealots,  possessed  of  the  idea  that  marriage 
was  unclean,  that  woman  was  the  original  cause  of  the 
coming  of  Sin  into  the  world,  and  that  Heaven  must  be 
won  by  the  sacrifice  of  all  earthly  enjoyments,  consecrated 
themselves  to  the  life  ascetic,  monastic,  useless,  unnatural,  fan- 
tastic, monomanical. 

These  fanatics  imagined  that  they  pleased  God  immensely 
by  surrendering  to  the  Devil  all  the  good  thing's  of  life.  Even 
personal  cleanliness,  enjoined  in  the  Bible,  was  tabooed  by 
the  monomaniacs  of  monasticism. 

Everything  that  pleased  the  senses,  was  to  be  shunned.  It 
was  a  cunning  snare  of  the  Evil  One.  God  made  the  flowers — 
but  the  monk  did  not  love  them.  God  made  the  beauty  of  the 
landscape,  hung  the  purple  haze  around  the  mountain  top, 
colored  the  rainbow  in  the  sky,  built  vast  and  gorgeous  taber- 
nacles amid  the  clouds,  spread  marvellous  carpets  and  tapes- 
tries along  fallow  fields  and  furzy  heaths  and  hill-side  slopes 
— but  the  monk  must  not  gaze  with  eyes  of  ra^Dture  upon  the 
evanescent  scene. 

God  made  the  melody  and  the  magnificence  of  the  woods, 
the  mingled  songs  of  streams  and  birds,  the  blended  beauty  of 
vine  and  leaf,  of  pine  and  oak.  of  rock  and  water,  of  sunshine 
and  shadow  at  plaj^  over  limitless  stretches  of  sea  and  forest — 
but  the  anchorite  must  l3e  deaf  to  the  music  and  blind  to  the 
beauty,  while  he  stifi'ened  his  thought  into  moody  meditation 
on  the  ultimate  destiny  of  what  he  conceived  to  be  his  soul. 

God  made  the  woman,  and  fashioned  her  wonderfully", 
indeed.  If  ever  the  Almighty  ''spread"  Himself,  and 
exhausted  the  utmost  of  His  powers,  it  was  when  He  made  the 
help-meet  for  Man. 

Dainty  where  he  is  coarse ;  tender  where  he  is  rough ;  strong 
where  he  is  weak;  weak  where  he  is  strong;  round  and  plump 
where  he  is  square  and  spare;  made  for  Love  and  Leisure  as 
he  is  made  for  War  and  Labor. 

Her  hands  were  made  small,  to  be  held  in  his :  her  feet  were 
made  small,  to  follow  his.    Her  arms  are  soft  to  embrace — not 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  91 

to  fight.  Her  voice  is  low  and  sweet — not  pitched  to  the 
battle-cry.  but  to  the  song  which  woos  the  lover  and  soothes 
the  fretful  babe.  Her  neck  is  the  flower  stem — not  the  short 
column  meant  to  bear  a  warrior's  helm  and  bear  a  foeman's 
blow.  Her  bosom  swells  with  the  loveliness  that  maddens  the 
male — ready  to  cradle  the  child  that  shall  lay  its  little  head 
there,  and  smile  up  in  its  mother's  face,  as  it  draws  life  from 
her. 

Built  for  Love,  fashioned  for  Maternity,  meant  for  male 
companionship,  her  glory  of  dimpled  cheek  and  flowing  hair 
and  dancing  eyes  were  given  her  to  allure  the  King.  The 
Woman's  smile,  before  it  was  fixed  on  her  rosy  lips,  was  bathed 
in  the  crystal  streams  that  still  flow  in  the  Eden  from  which 
erring  humanity  was  expelled,  in  the  old.  old  days :  and  the 
light  that  was  put  in  her  eyes,  and  the  infinite  tenderness  that 
comes  into  her  speech,  were  taken  from  across  the  space  which 
divides  the  spheres. 

Against  this  heaven-sent  mate,  the  anchorite  steeled  his 
acrid  heart:  she  was  a  syren,  born  of  Sin  and  ministering  to 
Beelzebub.  To  look  at  her  was  wickedness:  to  listen  to  her 
was  rash  experiment  with  temptation :  to  follow  her,  was  hell 
itself — an  extremely  black,  dismal,  disagreeable  Hell ! 

So,  the  holy  hermit  shut  his  eyes  to  the  splendors  of  Nature, 
shut  his  heart  to  love  of  women,  shut  his  mind  to  the  glories 
of  learning,  and  went  off.  like  a  mangy  dog.  into  the  wilder- 
ness to  encrust  his  body  with  dirt,  and  his  thoughts  with  what 
he  called  religious  contemplation. 

If  he  could  find  a  cavern  in  some  desolate  mountain  side, 
he  chose  this  hole  in  the  ground  for  his  habitation.  If  there 
was  a  spring  of  pure  water  near  by.  he  immediately  imagined 
a  miracle.  This  holy  man,  having  unloaded  duties  and 
responsibilities,  fancied  himself  growing  into  perfection.  If 
he  had  deserted  his  family,  so  much  the  more  glorious  was  his 
conduct.  Some  wicked,  worldly  person  would  no  doubt  be 
prompted  by  Satan  to  perform  the  natural  services  which  the 
Saints  had  advised  the  hermit  to  abandon.  If  an  old  mother 
had  been  left  in  "the  world,"  the  world  would,  or  should  pro- 
vide for  her.  If  the  hennit.  in  forsaking  "the  world,"'  had  left 
his  creditors  in  the  lurch,  so  much  the  greater  his  merit.  Had 
he  remained  in  "the  world,"  and  supported  his  family  and 
paid  his  debts,  worldly  pride  might  have  seized  him,  and 
puffed  him  up.  In  which  case,  he  would  have  incurred  mortal 
Sin,  and  might  have  lost  his  soul. 


92  POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

Dwelling-  in  his  cave,  apart  from  his  fellow  man.  the  holy 
hermit  lived  a  frugal  life.  He  might  depend  upon  charitable 
folk  to  bring  him  a  few  simple  necessaries  of  life,  in  return 
for  his  prayers ;  or  he  might  cultivate  a  small  plot  of  ground, 
for  his  subsistence. 

Visitors  were  not  encouraged,  and  few  came.  Naturally, 
a  cavern  in  a  desert  is  not  apt  to  attract  company,  especially 
if  the  hermit  is  said  to  be  a  person  who  seldom  speaks,  and 
who  much  prefers  solitude.  As  to  women,  they  were  not  to  be 
suffered  anywhere  about  the  premises.  If  by  the  rarest  chance, 
a  daughter  of  Eve  tresspassed  upon  the  sanctified  habitat  of 
the  anchorite,  he  started  up  in  wild  alarm,  and  made  a  desper- 
ate dash  for  remote  fastnesses  and  unddscoverable  hiding 
places. 

In  those  olden  times ^  peojyle  knew  what  humanity  IS. 

They  knew  what  a  man  had  to  do  to  stifle  the  voice  of 
Nature.  They  knew  what  he  had  to  do,  if  he  were  determined 
to  preserve  his  virginity. 

The  man  himself  knew  it — Ae,  best  of  all !  He  knew 
what  his  raging  passions  were.  He  knew^  the  power  of  those 
innate,  unavoidable,  inextinguishable  longings  for  a  mate. 

Therefore,  he  fled  the  temptations.  He  fled  the  sight  of 
woman.  He  did  not  dare  to  trust  himself  where  he  could  hear 
the  frou-frou  of  her  flowing  garments;  smell  the  perfume  of 
her  abundant,  glossy  hair;  and  feast  his  eyes  upon  the  volup- 
tousness  of  her  form,  or  upon  the  witchery  of  her  voice  and 
face. 

He  fled  the  scene,  knowing  that  to  stay  was  to  surrender. 
He  fled  the  scene,  poor,  poor  fanatic !  insulting  the  God  who 
mercifully  made  the  Woman  for  the  Man ! 

Even  in  his  cavern,  he  knew  he  was  not  safe.  His  enemy 
dwelt  within  himself.  This  enemy  was  intrenched  in  his 
throbbing  heart,  coursed  through  every  burning  vein,  lurked 
in  every  vagrant  thought. 

This  enemy  must  be  combated*  must  be  watched,  must  be 
mortified,  must  be  starved  out.  The  heat  of  the  blood  must 
be  cooled.    The  lust  of  the  flesh  must  be  chilled. 

The  hermit  must  avoid  meat:  must  banish  wine:  must  eat 
sparingly  of  watery  vegetables:  must  not  wear  soft  clothing; 
must  not  sleep  on  a  warm  bed. 

The  physical  man  must  be  reduced  to  skin  and  bones:  and 
the  blood  must  be  made  as  thin  and  scant  as  possible.  Never 
a  hermit- virgin,  anchorite-monk  had  a  fair  round  belly,  with 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  93 

fat  capon  lined :  never  a  virgin  monk  had  a  red  face,  bulbous 
lips,  bulging  eyes,  and  thick  neck  with  a  fold  at  the  base  of  the 
skull,  never! 

In  the  olden  time,  jyeopJe  hieic  what  human  nature  IS. 


There  is  an  odd  sort  of  book  entitled  "Table  Traits,'*  pub- 
lished by  the  Dr.  Doran,  who  was  the  historian  of  the  "Queens 
of  England  and  the  House  of  Hanover." '  For  a  quiet  hour  on 
a  rainy  day,  I  don't  know  a  volume  that  would  prove  more 
entertaining.  The  learned  Doctor,  who  ought  to  have  been  a 
chum  of  Isaac  DTsraeli,  father  of  Benjamin  ditto,  devotes 
chapters  to  the  Legend  of  Amphitryon,  to  Diet  and  Digestion, 
to  Materials  for  Breakfast,  to  the  Old  Coffe-house,  to  French 
Cafes,  to  the  Ancient  Cook,  to  Materials  for  Dining,  to  Sauces, 
to  the  Making  and  Marring  of  Wine,  to  the  Tables  of  the 
Ancient  Egyptians,  to  Csesars  at  the  Table,  to  their  Majesties 
at  Meat,  to  Strange  Banquets,  to  Liquor-loving  Laureates,  to 
Supper,  to  the  Diet  of  the  Saints  of  Old  and  to  the  Support  of 
Modern  Saints. 

The  chapters  devoted  to  the  Saints  are  those  that  claim  my 
attention. 

We  hardly  need  another  book  to  teach  us  how  the  Csesars 
carried  on  at  Table.  Scores  of  authors  have  told  us  about  it. 
We  can  see  them  in  the  mind's  eye,  sprawled  along  their 
couches,  stuffing  and  guzzling,  until  they  can  hold  no  more. 
We  know  how  the  earth  and  the  sea  were  ransacked  to  procure 
delicacies  for  the  epicurian  tastes  of  the  Roman  lords.  We  can 
see  the  sparkle  of  the  wine,  hear  the  ribald  jest,  note  the  grow- 
ing swinishness  of  the  feast. 

We  know  fairly  well  what  the  Egyptian  banquet  was;  and 
how  the  "Imperial  drinkers  of  Germany"  bore  up,  or  bore 
down,  under  tremendous  irrigation  of  the  interior  viaducts. 
We  have  a  sufficiently  clear  conception  of  the  "Table  Traits  of 
England  in  Early  Times;"  and  also  of  the  same  traits  of  the 
same  country,  preceding  and  postdating  those  Early  Times. 
About  all  those  matters,  this  Gallio  is  not  at  all  concerned. 

What  I  want  to  know  is.  How  did  the  Saints  live?  AMiat 
did  the  anchorites  eat  and  drink?  In  what  way  did  the  chaste 
man  rigorously  confine  his  natural  propensities,  and  preserve 
his  sexual  virtue?  How  did  the  priest  manage  his  diet  and 
daily  habit,  so  that  he  passed  over  the  ploughshares  of  all  the 
hot  vears  of  vouth  and  earlv  manhood  without  getting  burnt? 


94  POPERY  SHOAVX  UP  TO  AMEEICAXS. 

Being  a  man^  how  did  he  avoid  thinking  as  a  man,  feeling 
as  a  man,  and  acting  as  a  man  ? 

On  page  316,  Dr.  Doran  begins  to  tell  mankind  what  he 
has  learned  about  the  Diet  of  the  Saints. 

After  mentioning  the  painful  circumstances  that  the  Chris- 
tian Fathers  "corrected"'  those  who  ate  prohibited  food  during 
Lent  by  pulling  all  their  teeth  out.  he  speaks  of  the  stu- 
pendous row  that  split  the  churches  when  the  orthodox 
authorities  relaxed  the  rigor  of  the  rules,  and  made  an  excep- 
tion in  favor  of  eggs.  The  Greek  churches  went  off  into  a 
schism,  and  refused  to  be  reconciled,  or  comforted. 

Besides  the  regular  fast  daj^s,  there  were  the  days  of  "dry 
eatings"  (Xerophagia)  when  the  Christians  who  were  reso- 
lutely determined  on  their  sah^ation,  ate  nothing  but  bread 
and  salt.  AjDparentl}^,  those  Christian  Fathers  had  not  yet 
learned  how  to  put  the  salt  in  the  bread.  It  would  be  con- 
sidered a  rarely  diverting  spectacle,  nowadays,  to  see  a  devout 
person  salting  his  ]3one  of  bread  as  he  devoured  it. 

There  were  other  days  on  which  Christians  might  not  only 
take  bread  and  salt,  but  hj^ssop.  also.  It  is  not  very  clear  what 
hyssop  was,  but  we  moderns  suppose  it  to  ha've  been  a  kind  of 
plant,  shrub,  herb,  or  vegetable. 

Saint  Macarius  ate  nothing  but  raw  herbs  and  pulse.  This 
he  kept  up  for  several  years,  after  which  he  changed  his  diet 
to  five  ounces  of  bread  a  day. 

During  Lent  this  Saint  stood  in  one  position,  forty  days 
and  nights,  with  no  food  save  "a  few  raw  cabbage  leaves  on  a 
Sunday."  This  "one  position"  must  have  been  a  sight  to  see, 
and  a  smell  to  inhale,  when  the  40  days  were  up.  The  same 
remark  apjolies  to  the  person  of  the  Saint. 

Saint  Genevieve  was  almost  equally  austere  and  filthy.  She 
ate  only  twice  a  week,  Sundays  and  Thursdays,  and  her  food 
was  beans  and  bread.  But  when  she  grew  old.  she  became 
somewhat  more  self-indulgent:  she  took  "a  little  fish  and 
milk."  Let  us  hope  that  she  had  better  sense  than  to  take 
them  together. 

Saint  Simeon  Stylites  never  ate  anything  at  all  during 
Lent,  and  at  other  seasons,  only  once  a  week.  As  his  lodging 
was  upon  the  top  of  a  high  pillar,  and  his  time  Avas  spent  in 
prajT^er  and  genuflexions,  I  am  prepared  to  believe  that  he 
preserved  his  virginity. 

Saint  Paul  lived  on  the  fruit  of  one  palm  tree  which 
miraculously  bore  a  fresh  supply  every  day.     To  assist  the 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  95 

miraculous  tree,  a  raven  brought  the  Saint  some  every  morn- 
ing, as  early  and  as  regularly  as  a  baker's  boy  of  those  modern 
da,ys. 

A^^ien  a  wicked  v\-oman,  at  the  instigation  of  the  Devil, 
unveiled  her  charms  before  this  Saint  and  tempted  him,  he 
bit  off  his  tongue,  and  spat  it  in  her  face — the  hussy ! 

Samt  Isidore  ate  almost  nothing.  Day  and  night  he  fasted, 
and  fasted,  and  fasted ;  and  when  at  last  his  outraged  appetite 
clamored  for  food,  the  Saint  burst  into  tears,  so  great  was  the 
humiliation  of  having  to  eat  at  all. 

Saint  Pluvius  and  his  monks  tabooed  wine,  milk,  cheese, 
grapes,  and  even  vinegar.  Their  staple  of  food  was  pulse, 
herbs,  bread  and  water.  Only  after  Easter,  and  until  "N-VTiit- 
suntide,  did  they  get  on  a  sort  of  holy  jag,  and  consume  a  gill 
of  oil  apiece. 

Saint  William  of  Maleval  wept  bitterly,  when  he  found 
that,  in  spite  of  his  diet  of  divy  bread,  his  sensuality  still  tor- 
mented him. 

Saint  Martianus  lived  on  biscuits  and  water,  the  biscuits 
being  brought  to  him  once  in  every  six  Tnonths.  Biscuits 
several  months  old  will  assauge  the  carnal  heats,  if  anj'thing 
can  do  it. 

Saint  Winwaloe's  fare  was  barley-bread  strewn  with  ashes. 
During  Lent,  he  lessened  the  bread  and  doubled  the  ashes,  in 
honor  of  the  season  and  for  the  greater  glory  of  God. 

Saint  Benedict  never  drank  any  but  stagnant  water,  nor 
would  he  eat  anything  cooked.  He  even  ate  his  bread  raw. 
So  vehement  was  his  determination  to  save  his  soul,  and  his 
virginity. 

Samt  Francis  D'Assisi  would  eat  nothing  dressed  by  fire, 
unless  he  were  very  sick;  and  even  then  "he  covered  it  with 
ashes  and  dipped  it  in  cold  water."  His  common  daily  food 
was  drj^  bread  strewn  with  ashes. 

Saint  Hilary  for  many  years  lived  on  fifteen  figs  a  day; 
and  Saint  Catherine,  upon  grass! 

Other  hermits,  in  order  "to  counteract  the  movements  of 
the  flesh,  cased  the  body  in  steel,  put  on  sackcloth,  ran  to  the 
mountains,  spent  the  night  and  day  in  fasting,  vigils,  and  all 
the  rigor  of  severity.  Shunning  the  company  of  women,  the 
whole  sex  were  forbidden  access  to  their  solitary  retreat. 

All  this  self-mortification,  however,  could  scarcely  allay 
the  rebellion  of  their  blood. 

The  fanatical  idea  of  the  Christian  extremists  being  that 


96  POPERY  SHOAVX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

the  pleasures  of  the  senses  y^eve  sinful,  it  logically  followed 
that  the  more  diificult  the  self-restraint,  the  more  glorious  the 
\dcton'.  To  abstain  from  wine  and  palatable  food  was 
diificult;  therefore,  the  abstinence  was  meritorious.  To  deny 
one's  self  the  sexual  enjoyment,  was  most  difficult;  hence,  the 
victory  over  that  passion  was  supremely  honorable. 

Saint  Bernard  declared  that  fasting  was  a  necessary 
remedy  for  the  natural  heat  and  desire  of  the  blood.  To  the 
same  effect,  testifies  Saint  Chrysostom.  However,  he  and  Saint 
Jerome  both  advise  resort  to  prayer. 

Saint  Francis,  founder  of  the  Franciscans,  deemed  it  neces- 
sary, even  in  winter,  to  stand  to  the  neck  in  a  pit  full  of  icy 
water.  One  day,  when  the  pains  of  the  sensual  hell  got  hold 
of  him  with  unusual  strength,  the  Saint  stripped  himself  stark 
naked,  and  buried  himself  in  a  snow  drift. 

Saint  Godric  had  to  chill  his  lusts  of  the  flesh  by  solitude, 
by  semi-starvation,  by  sleeping  on  the  bare  ground,  with  a 
stone  for  his  pillow.  He  ate  no  meat,  drank  no  wine,  lived  on 
the  herbs  of  the  field,  drank  the  water  of  the  spring,  wore  a 
garment  of  hair-cloth,  and  spent  his  time  in  prayers,  in  tears 
and  in  bemoaning  the  treacherous  leanings  of  nature.  In  the 
winter  he  immersed  himself  in  the  river,  doing  this  even  at 
night,  in  the  heroic  determination  to  save  his  virginity  and 
his  soul. 

Saint  Ulric.  also,  made  a  desperate  defense  of  his  chastity. 
He  froze  his  poor  body  in  the  cold  bath,  lying  in  this  chilly 
bed  during  the  long  hours  of  the  night.  He  fasted,  until  the 
bones  almost  pushed  out  of  his  skin,  and  he  was  a  scare-crow 
to  the  eye. 

But  he  saved  his  virginity,  and  we  trust  that  he  also  saved 
his  precious  soul. 

Saint  Benedict  was  so  tortured  by  lascivious  dreams  which 
haunted  him  after  the  night  had  passed,  that  he  pulled  off  his 
clothes,  and  "rolled  his  naked  body  on  nettles  and  thorns,  till 
the  larcerated  body,  through  pain,  lost  all  sense  of  pleasure." 

Saint  Thomas  xVquinas  was  sorely  beset  by  his  sexual 
desires,  and  owed  his  rescue  to  supernatural  aid.  It  is  said 
that  while  asleep  he  "seemed,  through  a  dream  to  undergo  a 
constriction  of  a  certain  part,  by  the  angels,  and  lost  from  that 
time  forward  all  sense  of  consupiscence."' 

This  curious  statement  suggests  that  Saint  Thomas  may 
have  undergone  the  experience  of  Abelard,  and  of  Origen. 

The  Bishop  of  Sherburn,  Adhelm  by  name,  was  a  wise 


I'OPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  97 

man  in  his  generation.  LikeAvise,  he  was  rich  in  i)ractical 
resource.  AVhen  his  flesh  threatened  to  become  unrulj^,  he 
plunged  into  the  river  which  ran  b}'  his  monastery,  'and 
remained  in  this  icy  bath  all  night,  even  in  the  winter  time. 

This  remedy  he  varied  by  sending  for  ''a  fair  virgin  who 
lay  in  his  bed  til  Ihe  sung  the  whole  order  of  the  Psalms,  and 
overcame  by  this  means  the  paroxism  of  passion.'' 

Resourceful  Bishop  I  Obliging  fair  virgin  !  O,  the  times ! 
O,  the  manners  !     O,  Lordy  ! 

When  we  reflect  upon  the  austerities  which  the  early  monks 
felt  it  necessarj^  to  practise  in  their  efforts  to  keep  down  the 
natural  desire  for  sexual  relations  with  the  other  sex;  when 
we  think  of  their  flight  from  the  battle-field  where  natural 
passions  rage;  when  we  think  of  the  starvation  diet  upon 
which  the  anchorite  monks  lived,  the  immersions  in  ic}^  water, 
the  burial  of  their  palpitating  bodies  in  snow  drifts,  their 
lacerations  of  themselves  upon  beds  of  nettles  and  thorns,  and 
their  rigid  exclusion  of  any  drink  that  might  warm  the  l)lood, 
we  are  the  more  amazed  at  the  consummate  impudence  of  the 
priests  of  our  day.  These  masculine  virgins  court  the  battle- 
field, rather  than  shun  it;  they  fling  themselves  into  the  very 
midst  of  temptations;  they  feast  upon  the  richest  viands 
known  to  the  epicure;  they  are  lovers  of  wine  and  are  fasti- 
dious as  to  its  quality;  their  palaces  blaze  with  luxury;  they 
robe  themselves  in  purple  and  fine  linen;  they  are  lapped  in 
sensuous  music  and  surrounded  by  adoring  women — yet  they 
ask  us  to  believe  that  their  manly  virtue  passes  through  these 
fires  without  even  the  inclination  to  melt ! 

As  a  rule,  the  Roman  Catholic  prelate  of  middle  age  is  a. 
round  bodied  person.  He  measures  most  at  the  waist.  He 
ambles  or  wabbles  when  he  walks.  His  neck  is  thick,  and  has 
a  fold  at  the  back  of  his  head.  His  cheeks  are  full  and  red: 
his  lips  are  coarse  and  sensual:  his  eyes  are  bold  and  bulging 
and  haughty:  his  nose  heavy,  his  chin  double,  his  breast  the 
ample  approach  to  his  protuberant  paunch. 

But  he  is  a  virgin:  he  says  so:  his  church  says  so:  he  has 
not  been  caught  in  the  act;  and  the  cynical  "world"  lets  him 
pass  for  what  he  claims  to  be. 

The  "world"  knows  that  he  is  not  a  eunuch,  that  he  eats 
and  drinks  lu  repletion  the  food  and  the  wine  which  inflame, 
that  he  has  secret  access  to  the  most  beautiful  women,  who  may 
be  presumed  to  be  as  much  chafed  by  unnatural  restraint  as  he 
himself  is :  the  private-room  within  the  walled  convent  affords 


98  POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

the  ideal  opportunity  for  sly  indulgence — and  yet  we  are  asked 
to  believe  that  the  passion  is  never  felt,  the  opportunity  never 
used,  the  burning  nun  never  allured  by  the  burning  priest  into 
the  voluptuous  "Retreat  Parlor.""  which  apparently  is  pro- 
vided for  that  very  emergency  ! 

Can  any  sane  man  or  woman  look  upon  the  faces  and  the 
persons  of  the  typical  Irish,  Italian  and  French  and  Spanish 
priests,  and  then  believe  that  those  representatives  of  the 
amorous  Celtic  and  Latin  races,  ceased  to  be  rejyresentative, 
when  they  jDut  on  petticoats? 

And  they  have  actually  gone  to  admitting  negro  men  into 
this  celibate  priesthood,  asking  us  to  belieev  that  negro  men, 
given  unlimited  opportunities  among  helpless  women,  will  not 
have  the  desire  to  improve  the  opportunity. 

They  know  what  the  negro  is.  They  know  that  he  will 
risk  the  most  frightful  torture  and  death,  to  gratify  his  rag- 
ing lust.  They  know  that  so  intense  is  his  appetite  for  a  lohite 
woman^  that  he  will  seize  her  wherever  he  can,  although  he 
may  perish  at  the  stake  the  next  day. 

Nevertheless,  in  their  furious  ambition  to  extend  the  sway 
of  the  Italian  church,  they  are  ordaining  negro  priests,  who 
will  have  precisely  the  same  powers,  privileges  and  opportuni- 
ties that  the  white  priests  enjoy  and  abuse.  Great  God  !  Think 
of  a  great  black  brute  of  a  negro  priest  turned  loose  in  a  con- 
vent of  white  girls,  and  given  his  pick  of  the  flock  I  It  makes 
the  blood  run  cold  to  think  of  it. 

WMt  im-speaTiCible  Jiellians  these  Roman  idolaters  are,  TO 
GIVE  NEGRO  BUCKS  A  TASTE  OF  THE  SATYR 
ORGIES  OF  TEE  ITALIAN  PRIESTHOOD! 

:-c  *  *  *  *  * 

I  close  this  discussion  of  the  pretended  virginity  of  the 
Roman  priests,  by  quoting  a  few  passages  from  the  confessions 
of  typical  priests,  from  the  statements  of  Roman  Catholic 
authors,  and  from  official  records  whose  truthfulness  has  not 
been  questioned. 


POPERY  SHOWX  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  99 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Quotations  From  the  Writings  of  Blanco  White,  a  Spanish  Priest, 
and  From  the  "Confession  of  a  French  Catholic  Priest,"  Showing 
the  Wickedness  and  Immorality  of  the  Clergy  in  Those  Countries. 

WE  select  the  testimony  of  Blanco  White  concerning  Spain,  who 
wrote  in  1835.     He  was  a  Spanish  priest  of  great  celebrity, 
and  of  unquestionable  veracity.     Speaking  of  the  character 
of  the  Spanish  clergy,  in  reference  to  their  celibacy,  he  testifies  as 
follows,  in  the  most  solemn  and  sincere  tone:  — 

"That  my  feelings  are  painfully  vehement  when  I  dwell  upon 
this  subject;  that  neither  the  freedom  I  have  enjoyed  so  many  years 
nor  the  last  repose  of  the  victims,  the  remembrance  of  whom  still 
wrings  tears  from  my  eyes,  can  allay  the  bitter  pangs  of  my  youth; 
are  proofs  that  my  views  arise  from  a  real,  painful,  and  protracted 
experience. — Devoted  to  the  ecclesiastical  profession  since  the  age 
of  fifteen,  when  I  received  the  minor  orders,  I  livd  in  constant 
friendship  with  the  most  distinguished  youths  who,  in  my  town, 
were  preparing  for  the  priesthood.  Men  of  the  first  eminence  in 
the  church  were  the  old  friends  of  my  family — my  parents'  and  my 
own  spiritual  directors.  Thus  I  grew  up,  thus  I  continued  in  man- 
hood, till,  at  the  age  of  five-and-thirty  religion,  and  religion  alone, 
tore  me  away  from  kindred  and  country.  The  intimacy  of  friend- 
ship, the  undisguised  converse  of  sacramental  confession,  opened  to 
me  the  hearts  of  many,  whose  exterior  conduct  might  have  deceived 
a  common  observer.  The  coarse  frankness  of  associate  dissolute- 
ness left  no  secrets  among  the  spiritual  slaves,  who,  unable  to 
separate  the  laws  of  God  from  those  of  their  tyrannical  church, 
trampled  both  under  foot  in  riotous  despair.  Such  are  the  sources 
of  the  knowledge  I  possess:  God^  sorrow,  and  remorse,  are  my 
witnesses. 

"A  more  blameless,  ingenious,  religious  set  of  youths  than  that 
in  the  enjoyments  of  whose  friendship  I  passed  the  best  years  of 
my  life,  the  world  cannot  boast  of.  Eight  of  us,  all  nearly  of  the 
same  age,  lived  in  the  closest  bond  of  affection,  from  sixteen  till 
one-and-twenty;  and  four,  at  least,  continued  in  the  same  intimacy 
till  that  of  about  thirty-five.  Of  this  knot  of  friends,  not  one  was 
tainted  by  the  breath  of  gross  vice  till  the  church  had  doomed  them 
to  a  life  of  celibacy,  and  turned  the  best  affections  of  their  heart 
into  crime.  It  is  the  very  refinement  of  church  cruelty  to  say  they 
were  free  when  they  deprived  themselves  of  their  natural  rights- 


100         POPERY  SHOWX  UP  TO  AMEEICANS. 

Less,  indeed^  would  be  the  unfeelingness  of  a  parnt  who,  watching 
a  moment  of  generous  excitement,  would  deprive  a  son  of  his  birth- 
right, and  doom  him,  by  a  voluntary  act,  to  pine  away  through  life 
in  want  and  misery.  A  virtuous  youth  of  one-and-twenty,  who  is 
made  to  believe  Christian  perfection  inseparable  from  a  life  of 
celibacy,  will  easily  overlook  the  dangers  which  beset  the  state  of 
life.  Those  who  made,  and  those  who  still  support  the  unnatural 
law,  which  turns  the  mistaken  piety  of  youth  into  a  source  of  future 
vice,  ought  to  have  learned  mercy  from  their  own  experience;  but 
a  priest  who  has  waded  (as  most  do)  through  the  miry  slough  of  a 
life  of  incessant  temptation,  falling  and  rising^  stumbling,  strug- 
gling, and  falling  again,  without  at  once  casting  off  Catholicism  with 
Christianity,  contracts,  generally,  habits  of  mind  not  unlike  those 
of  the  guards  of  oriental  beauty.  Their  hearts  have  been  seared 
with  envy. 

"I  cannot  think  on  the  wanderings  of  the  friends  of  my  youth 
without  heart-rending  pain.  One,  now  no  more,  whose  talents 
raised  him  to  one  of  the  highest  dignities  of  the  Church  of  Spain, 
was,  for  many  years,  a  model  of  Christian  purity.  When^  by  the 
powerful  influence  of  his  mind,  and  the  warmth  of  his  devotion,  this 
man  had  drawn  many  into' the  clerical,  and  the  religious  life,  (my 
youngest  sister  among  the  latter,)  he  sunk  at  once  into  the  grossest 
and  most  daring  profligacy.  I  heard  him  boast  that  the  night  before 
the  solemn  procession  of  Coii>us  Christi,  where  he  appeared  nearly 
at  the  head  of  his  chapter,  one  of  two  children  had  been  born  which 
his  two  concubines  brought  to  light  within  a  few  days  of  each  other. 
The  intrigues  of  ambition  soon  shared  his  mind  with  the  pursuit  of 
pleasure;  and  the  fall  of  a  potentate,  whom  he  took  the  trouble  to 
instruct  in  the  policy  of  Machiavel,  involved  him  in  danger  and  dis- 
tress for  a  time.  He  had  risen  again  into  court  influence^  when 
death  cut  him  off  in  the  flower  of  life.  I  had  loved  him  when  both 
our  minds  were  pure:  I  loved  him  when  Catholicism  had  driven  us 
both  from  the  path  of  virtue:  I  still  love,  and  will  love  his  memory, 
and  hope  that  God's  mercy  has  pardoned  his  life  of  sin  without 
imputing  it  to  the  abettors  of  the  barbarous  laws  which  occasioned 
his  spiritual  ruin. 

"Such,  more  or  less,  has  been  the  fate  of  my  early  friends,  whose 
minds  and  hearts  were  much  above  the  common  standard  of  the 
Spanish  clergy.  What,  then,  need  1  say  of  the  vulgar  crowd  of 
priests,  who,  coming,  as  the  Spanish  phrase  has  it,  from  coarse 
swaddling  clothes^  and  raised  by  ordination  to  a  rank  of  life  for 
which  they  have  not  been  prepared,  mingle  vice  and  superstition, 
grossness  of  feeling,  and  pride  of  office,  in  their  character.     I  have 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  lO  AMERICANS.         101 

known  the  best  among  them;  I  have  heard  their  confessions;  I  have 
heard  the  confessions  of  young  persons  of  both  sexes,  who  fell 
under  the  influence  of  their  suggestions  and  example;  and  I  do 
declare  that  nothing  can  be  more  dangerous  to  youthful  virtue  than 
their  company.  How  many  souls  would  be  saved  from  crime,  but 
for  the  vain  display  of  pretended  superior  virtue,  which  Rome 
demands  of  her  clergy?" 

The  following  picture  of  Roman  clerical  corruption  is  drawn  by 
the  hand  of  a  French  Catholic  priest  in  1836,  edited  by  Samuel  F. 
B.  Morse,  A.  M.,  of  New  York,  and  published  by  John  S.  Taylor 
New  York,  in  183  7.  The  work  is  entitled,  Confession  of  a  Fifnch 
Catholic  Priest.  Mr.  jMorse,  whose  veracity  cannot  be  questioned, 
was  intimately  acquainted  with  the  priest  and  edited  his  work.  He 
was  compelled  to  conceal  his  name  to  avoid  the  persecution  which 
was  authorized  by  the  fourth  Council  of  Lateran  and  Innocent  III., 
in  their  decree  against  heretics.  This  decree  is  cited  in  the  sixth 
page  of  the  preface  in  a  note.  We  quote  that  part  of  the  fourteenth 
chapter,  from  the  one  hundred  and  twenty-sixth  to  the  one  hundred 
and  forty-second  page. 

"Catholic  or  Protestant  writers,"  says  the  priest,  "who  have 
spoken  of  the  corruption  of  the  church  of  the  Roman  clergy^  who 
have  described  its  matchless  wickedness,  have  not  shown  its  cause. 
They  saw  only  the  effect,  without  tracing  it  up  to  its  source.  I  will 
try  to  supply  their  silence.  I  have  read  a  certain  number  of  those 
books,  against  a  body  to  which  I  belonged,  a  body  which  I  know 
as  well  as  it  is  possible  for  one  to  know  it;  and  I  can  say  that  its 
whole  degradation  is  unkno\m.  Careful  of  saying  nothing  which 
can  shock  the  reader,  I  will  reveal  only  what  is  necessary  to  unveil 
those  'anointed  of  the  Lord,'  but  nothing  to  offend  the  eyes.  I  shall 
surprise  Protestants,  doubtless,  by  saying,  that  in  France  the 
immense  majority  of  young  men  in  our  seminaries  are  not  cor- 
rupted, and  many  of  them  are  virtuous.  It  is  nevertheless  true. 
They  are  ignorant,  supertitious  ^fanatical,  given  up  to  their  super- 
stitious practices,  to  theology,  &c. ;  but,  I  declare  it,  not  at  all 
vicious.  That  may  be  conceded,  although,  in  appearance,  in  con- 
tradiction to  their  indecent  studies;  for  they  are  taught  that  it  is 
necessary  to  learn  all  these  in  order  to  be  able  to  fulfill  their  duty; 
and  to  hear  confession  in  all  its  extent,  it  is  necessary  to  know  all 
human  perversity.  I  do  not  give  a  judgment  on  these  reasons;  be 
that  as  it  may,  our  superiors  endeavor  to  inspire  us,  in  those  recita- 
tions, with  a  great  dislike  of  such  crimes:  and  I  can  affirm  that  it  is 
very  painful  to  the  natural  sense  of  decency  in  any  man,  to  be 
obliged,  as  we  are,  to  be  familiar  with  such  books. 


102         POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMEPvICAXS. 

"This  is  the  true  picture  upon  this  matter  of  the  seminaries. 
That  I  know;  and  I  am  indifferent  whether  it  agrees  or  not  with 
pictures  drawn  by  others. 

"The  story  of  the  corruption  of  the  clergy  begins  only  when  they 
are  out  of  the  seminary.  Those  young  men  are  sent  into  a  parish 
in  the  quality  of  curates,  or  vicars;  in  the  beginning  they  fulfill 
their  duties  with  great  care,  and  for  some  time  remain  faithful  to 
their  vows.  Many  told  this  to  me  after  their  fall;  and  I  have  seen  it 
myself,  except  in  a  few  exceptions.  But  by  and  by  they  open 
astonished  eyes.  Restored  to  freedom,  after  ten  or  twelve  years  of 
thraldom  in  a  college  or  seminary,  they  become  quite  different  men; 
gradually  they  forget  their  vow.  'O!'  said  a  young  priest  to  me, 
with  tears  in  his  eyes,  after  having  four  or  five  years  discharged  the 
duties  of  his  station,  'God  only  knows  what  I  have  suffered  during 
this  time;  and  if  I  have  fallen  it  was  not  without  fighting;  had  I 
been  allowed  to  choose  a  wife,  as  it  is  the  law  of  God,  who  destines 
man  to  marriage,  whatever  our  rules  teach  to  the  contrary,  I  should 
hav  remained  virtuous:  I  should  have  been  the  happiest  man  in  the 
world;  I  should  be  a  good,  a  holy  priest;  while  now  I  am — O!  I  am 
ashamed  of  myself.' 

"This  is  really  the  sad  history  of  all  their  falls;  for,  let  us  be 
just,  what  can  become  of  a  young  priest  of  twenty-five  years  of  age, 
confined  in  the  lonely  wilderness  of  a  country  parish,  in  a  village 
where  he  has  only  the  society  of  his  sacristan  and  of  his  servant, 
because  all  his  parishoners  being  but  coarse  peasants,  especially  in 
the  South  and  West^  where  scarcely  any  know  how  to  read,  are 
unable  to  afford  any  comfort  to  his  solitude?  His  duty  occupies 
him  but  little,  save  on  the  Sunday;  and  during  the  whole  week, 
after  his  short  mass  and  some  confession  of  women,  he  is  reduced 
to  ask  himself,  'What  shall  I  do?'  Study  has  few,  if  any,  charms 
for  him,  because  he  is  forbidden  to  read  or  study  precisely  those 
matters  which  entertain  the  intellect.  He  is  allowed  only  to  peruse 
theology,  always  Dens,  Gomex,  Roduguex,  the  Life  of  Saints  by 
Godescar.  If  he  should  obtain  some  other  books_  the  bishop,  in  his 
-episcopal  visit,  would  chide  him  severely,  and  call  him  a  worldly 
priest.  Our  great  poet,  Racine,  so  pure,  so  chaste,  is  scarcely 
tolerated;  and  many  bishops  do  not  allow  him  in  the  libraries  of 
their  priests.  The  young  man,  before  his  profession,  had  imagined 
and  anticipated  a  pleasant  existence  in  the  ecclesiastic  state,  and  he 
finds  but  privations,  ennui,  disgust;  his  passions  are  also  raised; 
the  demon  of  bad  thoughts  takes  possession  of  him.  Moreover  his 
ministry  puts  him  in  so  m^ny  circumstances  with  ignorant  young 
country-women,    in    whose    most   sacred    thoughts   he    is    obliged    to 


POPERY  SHOAV>  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  103 

enter,  that  liis  virtue  receives  many  shocks.  And  can  it  be  other- 
wise, when  a  man  has  those  intimate  and  continual  relations  required 
of  the  Catholic  priests  with  women?'  No;  it  would  be  unreasonable 
to  expect  from  human  nature  more  than  it  Is  able  to  do,  to  put  it  on 
too  difficult  a  trial.  Such  is,  however,  the  situation  of  every  Catho- 
lic priest. 

"I  do  not  say  all  this  to  veil  or  excuse  the  crimes,  the  natural 
result  of  this  institution;  but  I  think  I  am  bound  to  give  the  matter 
of  fact  as  it  is.  Sometimes  the  resistance  is  firm,  the  struggle  long; 
but  at  length  this  martyr  of  fanaticism,  this  victim  of  his  system, 
and  of  his  superiors,  abandons  his  vow  through  despair^  shuts  his 
eyes  and  throws  himself  into  the  slough  of  passion.  This  is  the  end 
of  almost  all  priests.  In  the  beginning  their  conscience  reproaches 
them  bitterly;  they  try  again  to  be  faithful;  they  flutter,  fall, 
reform  again,  go  on,  fall  again,  and  at  length,  to  finish  this  horrible 
struggle,  remain  in  vice.  Let  us  add  to  this  sad  catastrophe  the 
temptations  against  their  faith  and  doctrines,  which  end  with  many 
in  complete  atheism,  into  which  they  fall  by  the  excess  of  degrada- 
tion, temptations  to  atheism  in  those  who  reason^  from  the  impossi- 
bility of  reconciling  their  faith  with  reason. 

"The  resolution  being  taken  of  enjoying  life,  as  they  say,  after 
having  been  so  long  deprived  of  it,  the  only  question  is  to  enjoy  it 
safely  and  secretly,  viz.,  without  dishonour..  Dishonour  is  for  a 
French  priest,  as  for  all  his  countrymen,  more  intolerable  than 
death,  and  a  priest  whose  excesses  are  knowii,  loses  his  reputation; 
therefore  he  will  neglect  nothing  to  hide  carefully  both  them  and 
his  victims.  Inconceivable  mystery  of  the  human  species!  This 
obligation  of  keeping  a  profound  secret  is  the  best  reason  which  he 
puts  forward  to  seduce  them;  for  other  Frenchmen,  by  their  vanity 
boast  of  their  'bonnes  fortunes,'  but  the  priest  cannot  make  that 
boast,  because  he  would  be  laughed  at  and  scorned.  His  hypocrisy 
and  care  of  his  fame  prevail  over  his  national  vanity.  By  this  way, 
through  their  dark  ministry,  they  have  an  immense  power  upon  the 
minds  of  women,  for  they  attack  only  those  whose  disposition  they 
have  long  studied  in  confession.  The  reader  can  have  some  just 
Idea  of  this  power  from  this  single  fact,  of  which  I  know  the  per- 
sonage, because  it  became  public.  A  priest,  in  a  parish  not  far 
from  mine,  laid  his  snares  for  a  young  married  woman,  who  had  the 
reputation  of  piety,  because  she  attended  mass  every  morning.  He, 
through  his  diabolical  arguments,  won  her  and  triumphed  over  all 
her  scruples.  She  went  to  him  almost  every  morning  in  the  vestry 
before  the  bell  rang  to  call  the  people  to  the  mass.  He  then  con- 
fessed and  absolved  all,  and  she  received  the  Lord's  supper  at  his 


104         POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMEPvICAXS. 

mass.  The  good  people  said,  admiring  her  daily  communiou:  'How 
pious  is  this  youug  wife;  she  partakes  of  the  sacrament  every  day; 
she  is  doubtless  a  saint!' 

"There  are  no  means  which  their  cunning  does  not  invent  to 
meet  with  their  victims.  If  the  husband  is  jealous  and  suspicious, 
his  wife,  upon  the  advice  of  the  curate,  will  feign  to  be  sick;  and 
as  it  is  the  duty  of  a  priest  to  visit  often  (every  day  if  possible)  his 
sick  parishioners,  he  will  remain  alone  with  her  to  speak  about 
spiritual  matters  in  appearance,  or  to  confess  her. 

"If  a  priest,  in  spite  of  his  proverbial  cunning,  is  discovered,  and 
if  he  is  denounced  to  the  bishop  by  public  opinion^  he  will  be 
removed,  to  silence  the  scandal,  and  sent  to  another  distant  village, 
where  he  will  be  unknown;  and  where,  by  and  by,  he  will  begin 
again  the  same  mode  of  life.  Sometimes  he  will  be  interdicted, 
according  to  the  will  of  his  lordship,  who,  in  those  cases,  judges  at 
random,  and  more  by  his  caprice  than  by  justice.  The  priest  is 
blamed  by  his  superiors,  not  precisely  for  having  been  weak  and 
guilty^  but  much  more  for  not  having  'better  kept  appearances,'  as 
said  the  mother  of  Talleyrand,  formerly  bishop  of  Autum.  He,  in 
his  youth,  said  once  to  his  mother,  who  engaged  him  in  the  church 
because  he  had  little  hope  of  advancing  elsewhere,  being  lame; 
"Mother,  I  do  not  feel  myself  at  all  born  to  celibacy.'  'My  son,  keep 
appearances,  like  others.  Regarderos  les  appareiices.'  He  did  not 
keep  even  appearances.  This  kind  of  'bon  mot'  is  the  motto  of  the 
<;lergy;  and  it  ought  to  be  inscribed  on  its  banner,  as  was  the  device 
of  Constantine — 'In  hoc  signo  vinces;  By  this  sigu  thou  shalt  con- 
quer'— for  it  is  with  this  it  gains  so  many  victories.  A  priest  who  is 
faithful  to  it  is  never  guilty,  although  he  cares  neither  for  God,  nor 
virtue  nor  his  fellow-creatures.  Hence  the  horrible  crimes  so  com- 
mon  among  the  clergy,  to  whom  nothing  is  sacred,  to  avoid  dis- 
honour. 

"Our  ecclesiastical  rules,  composed  by  superiors  as  cunning  as 
men  can  be,  and  who  know  well  the  disposition  of  priests,  perhaps 
by  their  own,  try  to  avoid  scandal,  the  true  plague  of  their  religion. 
Our  rules  forbid  us  keeping  a  maid-servant  who  is  not  of  a  certain 
age.  This  age  varies  according  to  the  whim  of  the  bishop  of  each 
diocese,  because  he  is  the  supreme  master  and  dictator  of  every 
thing.  On  this  plan  the  rule  would  be  useful  if  executed;  but 
owing  to  priestly  artifice,  there  is  no  real  law,  and  it  does  not  pre- 
vent priests  from  keeping  young  and  beautiful  women,  with  whom 
they  live  as  with  a  wife;  for    as  they  say, 

'II  est  avec  le  ceil  des  accomodements.' 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  .UIP:rvlCANS.         105 

If,  however,  her  youth  violates  too  strongly  the  episcopal  rule,  the 
priest  will  apply  directly  to  the  bishop,  and  will  say  that  his  servant 
is,  perhaps,  a  little  young;  but  on  account  of  her  faithfulness  and 
other  good  qualities,  it  would  be  difficult  for  him  to  find  another 
one  who  suits  so  well.  'But  how  old  is  she?'  says  his  lordship, 
flattered  by  this  remark  of  submission.  ';\Iy  lord,  between  thirty 
and  forty,'  answers  the  priest^  making  her  older  by  ten  or  fifteen 
years;  and  the  bishop,  who  has  not  the  proof  of  the  contrary,  and 
who  requires  not  the  record  of  her  birth,  replies,  'It  is  a  little  young; 
but,  however,  on  account  of  her  good  qualities,  I  give  you  a  dispen- 
sation of  age;  take  care  of  scandal,  and  remember  that  a  woman 
drove  Adam  out  of  paradise.'  And  the  priest  boasts  of  having  a 
dispensation  of  age,  and  thus  avoids  being  accused  to  the  bishop  by 
his  spies. 

"Consequently  this  half  ecclesiastical  couple  will  be  careful  of 
scandal.  To  avoid  the  suspicion  of  living  too  friendly  with  each 
other^  the  better  to  keep  up  appearances,  they  will  feign  ill  will 
toward  each  other.  Sometimes  the  vicar,  when  he  has  some  of  his 
parishioners  at  hime,  will  pretend  to  be  very  angry  with  his  serv- 
ant, threatening  to  dismiss  her;  and  his  good,  short-sighted  peas- 
ants, will  try  to  calm  his  counterfieited  anger,  to  soften  him,  and  to 
pray  him  to  keep  her.     Good  people! 

"The  'age'  law  does  not  apply  to  curates,  who  have  at  home 
their  mothers,  sisters,  cousins  or  neices;  and  few,  for  this  reason, 
are  without  one  of  those  persons;  consequently  they  are  at  liberty 
to  hire  young  servants.  IMoreover,  a  priest  is  always  stationed  as 
far  as  possible  from  the  place  of  his  birth.  He  is  quite  unknown, 
as  well  as  his  family,  in  his  parish;  and  many  times  he  takes  with 
him  a  young  girl,  who  is  his  relation  only  by  Adam,  and  whom  he 
presents  under  the  name  of  his  cousin  or  niece.  Nobody  inquires 
the  relation  of  the  curate  and  his  pretended  cousin.  If,  however, 
there  happen  some  evidnt  proof  of  their  too  intimate  understanding, 
he  sends  her  under  some  Jesuitical  pretext  to  some  distant  city  for 
some  time^  or  he  tries  the  use  of  medical  remedies.  A  physician 
said  to  a  priest,  an  acquaintance  of  mine,  'Sir,  I  have  already  twice 
prescribed  for  your  servant-maid ;  but  beware,  I  will  not  do  it  a 
third  time.'  Would  this  fact,  that  I  wan-ant,  be  a  confirmation  of 
the  disclosures  of  Montreal? 

"A  priest  who  is  satisfied  with  the  good  services  of  his  maid, 
makes  his  will  in  her  favour,  to  the  great  disappointment  of  his 
own  relatives,  who  watch  the  inheritance  of  their  rich  member  with 
eager  and  impatient  eyes.  But  alas!  there  are  no  pleasures  without 
pain,    no    roses    without    thorns     no    spring   without    winter.      The 


106         POPERY  SHOWN  IP  TO  AMERICAXS. 

demon  of  trouble  invades  those  secret  illicit  unions  as  well  as  others. 
Those  internal  quarrels  end  always  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  poor 
curate,  whose  reputation  is  at  the  mercy  of  his  companion.  She  has 
not  been  at  his  school  without  profit,  and  she  draws  from  him  pretty 
fees,  the  price  of  masses  or  indulgences,  by  threatening  to  publish 
their  intimacy,  and  bringing  upon  him  an  interdiction.  The  unhappy 
man  yields  to  the  force  of  circumstances,  and  stripping  himself  of 
his  purse  to  pay  for  keeping  his  secret,  he  consoles  himself  that  he 
has  still  a  good  income  in  his  holy  water  and  the  credulity  of  his 
parish. 

"But  if  a  good  understanding  presides  over  their  union,  and 
silences  the  little  quarrels  occasionally  arising,  they  grow  old 
together.  The  maid  takes  care  of  the  income  and  of  the  interior  of 
the  house;  and  the  poor  priest  has  not  always  the  power  of  prevent- 
ing her  encroachments  even  in  spiritual  matters.  The  'Vicar  of 
Wakefield'  (whose  history  caused  me  to  shed  bitter  tears  at  seeing 
what  I  might  have  been)  had  his  department^  and  his  wife  hers; 
and  they  were  never  mixed  together.  But  the  servant-maid  of  the 
Catholic  curate  is  less  circumspect,  creeps  into  spiritual  matters, 
and  gives  decisions  almost  as  much  reverenced  as  those  of  the  priest 
himself.  He  is,  indeed,  the  true  oracle  of  the  parish,  the  true  son 
of  the  light;  but  his  satellite  is,  on  her  part,  the  feminine  oracle;  a 
star,  the  light  of  which,  although  reflected  from  his  own,  is  not  with- 
out merit.  When  his  mate  and  representative  gives,  by  usurpation 
some  decision  about  masses,  or  saints,  or  prayers,  his  jealousy  mur- 
murs a  little;  but,  knowing  that  it  is  a  duty  to  yield  in  a  family  to 
a  great  many  contrarieties  for  the  sake  of  peace,  he  never  contra- 
dicts her  opinion  by  a  contrary  one  in  public. 

"Other  priests  commit  much  greater  and  much  more  horrible 
crimes,  and  renew  the  monstrosities  of  the  cities  of  the  plain,  as 
they  are  spoken  of  in  the  Bible.  On  one  occasion,  I  confessed  some 
young  lads  of  my  catechism,  from  eleven  to  fifteen  years  old.  Each 
of  them  confessed  secret  and  abominable  crimes  (with  a  man.)  I 
inquired,  trembling^  who  this  monster  was,  being  almost  sure  that 
there  could  be  none  but  a  priest  capable  of  such  abominations.  They 
answered,  each  after  the  other,  with  the  simplicity  of  their  age, 
'Father,  it  is  our  vicar.'  I  begged  them  to  give  me  leave  to  make 
use  of  their  confession;  for  theology  teaches  that  this  leave  of  the 
penitent  is  necessary  to  do  so.  I  wished  to  stop  so  monstrous  a 
disorder,  at  first  secretly  if  possible,  and,  if  unsuccessful,  afterward 
to  try  another  way.  I  remembered  this  passage  of  the  Bible: 
'Corripe  ilium  inter  te  et  ipsum;  Correct  him  between  thee  and  him 
alone.'     I  went  to  him,  and  with  words  as  moderate  as  I  could  use. 


jeOPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  107 

I  remonstrated  with  him  on  the  horror  of  such  conduct.     'Go  to  the 

d 1  with  your  remonstrances^'  said  he,  'who  gave  you  this  right?' 

'Who,'  replied  I,  'my  character  of  minister  of  the  gospel;  and  if 
you  continue  the  same  course  I  shall  expose  you;  for  I  have  this 
leave  from  the  lads,  and  you  are  then  lost.  I  require  your  word 
that  you  will  cease  for  the  future.'  Hereupon  he  called  me  a  spy, 
denunciator  of  the  bishop.  'The  best  proof  to  the  contrary,'  said  I, 
'is  that  you  are  neither  interdicted  nor  denounced  to  the  bishop, 
or  to  the  procurer  of  the  king.  I  only  pray  you,  between  ourselves, 
for  your  own  sake,  for  that  of  your  conscience,  for  the  salvation  of 
those  boys^  to  reform  your  life.'  After  a  minute  of  reflection,  he 
answered,  'It  is  right;  you  are  a  good  fellow;  I  will  do  my  best  to 
correct  myself.     Do  not  reveal  this.' 

"Few  years,  if  any,  pass  without  some  affairs  of  this  or  of  the 
other  kind  being  made  public  at  the  tribunals;  and  the  priests  are 
condemned  to  the  galleys,  from  which  they  escape  only  by  the  help 
of  their  friends  in  concealing  them. 

"Other  priests  entertain  the  most  vicious  habits.  In  the  begin- 
ning of  my  priesthood,  at  the  time  when  I  dreamed  only  of  holiness 
and  purity,  I  was  called  to  the  death-bed  of  an  old  priest,  above 
seventy  years  of  age.  All  the  features  of  death  were  stamped  on  his 
face:  he  begged  me  to  come  near  his  bed,  and  said  to  me,  'M.,  I 
want  to  confess  before  I  die.  It  is  a  long  time  since  I  received  this 
sacrament — I  require  your  ministry.'  'But,  sir  '  answered  I,  quite 
frightened  at  the  task  of  disentangling  an  intricate  conscience,  'I 
am  very  young,  and  little  experienced;  my  fellow-priests  would  bet- 
ter suit  you.'  As  I  spoke  I  saw  sviddenly  a  gleam  in  his  dying  eyes. 
'You  are  young,'  said  he,  'it  is  precisely  for  that  reason  I  called  you. 
Were  you  older  I  would  refuse  you,  for  then  you  would  not  be  bet- 
ter than  others.  God  forbid  that  I  should  die  confessed  by  them. 
Be  seated,  sir,  and  let  us  begin.'  I  had  nothing  to  answer  and  so  I 
listened  to  him.  Among  other  human  wickednesses,  he  avowed  a 
horrible  crime,  at  which  I  could  not  restrain  a  mark  of  horror. 
'Do  not  shudder,'  said  he,  'you  are  young,  and  in  the  course  of  your 
life,  if  you  confess  your  fellow-priests,  you  will  find  worse  things 
than  these.'  But  his  reflection  did  not  diminish  my  horror:  I 
remained  petrified,  scarcely  knowing  what  he  said.  He  was  obliged 
to  recall  to  me  the  formula  of  absolution,  that  I  might  give  it  to 
him.  The  crime,  the  circumstances,  his  old  age,  his  distorted  fea- 
tures, his  death,  made  an  impression  upon  me  which  I  have  never 
been  able  to  erase  from  my  memory.  I  knew  particularly  another 
middle-aged  priest,  who,  also  on  his  death-bed,  being  waited  on  by 
a  servant,  tried  to  coiTupt  him  I 


108         POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

"I  said,  in  the  beginning  of  this  chapter,  that  no  crime  could 
deter  a  priest  from  its  commission  if  it  is  necessary  to  efface  the 
traces  of  others.  A  Paris  journal  gave,  some  weelvs  ago,  a  strilving 
proof  of  this  truth.  A  priest  of  the  diocess  of  Digon,  (department  of 
the  Cotedor^)  Dela  Collonge  by  name,  after  a  long  life  of  debauchery 
with  a  young  seamstress  whom  he  had  seduced,  smothered  her  one 
night,  cut  her  body  into  pieces,  and  hid  them  in  holes  in  his  house. 
This  is  not  a  history  of  old  times,  but  the  year  183  6.  It  did  not 
occur  among  cannibals  or  anthropophagi;  but  in  France,  in  the 
beautiful  province  of  Bourgogne.  And  the  monster  who  perpetrated 
this  murder,  in  consideration  of  the  interference  of  the  bishop  (the 
creature  of  the  new  king)  and  of  the  high  clergy,  who  took  a  great 
interest  in  him,  has  escaped  the  pain  of  death,  even  that  of  exposure 
and  pillory,  that  his  cassock,  and  the  body  to  which  he  belonged, 
be  not  dishonoured.     He  has  been  condemned  only  to  the  galleys. 

"Some  twenty  years  ago,  the  whole  of  France  resounded  with 
the  before  unheard  of  crime  of  Contresotto,  a  monster  priest  with  a 
human  visage;  and  of  that  of  Mingrot,  who  being  unable  to  seduce 
a  woman,  first  killed  her,  and  violating  her  dead  body,  cut  it  to 
pieces  and  dispersed  the  fragments.  Her  brothers,  while  this  priest 
fled  to  Piedmont  through  protection,  published  this  almost  incredi- 
ble history  under  this  title,  'To  the  Brothers  Of  the  Female  Victim.' 
There  is  not  a  doubt  about  the  truth  of  these  facts.  They  are  pub- 
lic, and  well  known  in  France,  as  well  as  a  great  many  other  cases 
less  monstrous.  The  publication  in  the  newspapers  of  such  clerical 
crimes  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  reasons  why  the  clergy,  thus 
unveiled,  curse  the  freedom  of  press,  which  keeps  an  open  eye  upon 
their  conduct.  The  newspaper,  the  'Constitutionel,'  and  the  'Cou- 
rier,' deserve  the  thanks  of  the  friends  of  morals  and  humanity  for 
their  courage  and  zeal  in  discovering  and  publishing  these  horrors, 
without  fearing  the  power  or  the  vengeance  of  the  Roman  clergy. 
But  say  the  priests  to  their  ignorant  flocks  in  answering  those  accu- 
sations, 'Such  priests  are  bad,  we  acknowledge,  but  all  others  are 
good.'  And  Catholic  France  believes  so.  Blind  people!  Open  your 
eyes  and  see  those  hypocrites;  if  they  do  not  commit  all  those 
crimes,  they  are  yet  almost  all  vicious^  and  deserve  better  your  scorn 
and  horror  than  your  veneration. 

"I  ought  to  begin  with  my  holy  superiors,  my  lords,  bishops,  arch- 
bishops, cardinals,  and  pope,  who  are  in  general  as  much  more 
advanced,  in  the  way  of  corruption,  beyond  simple  priests,  as  they 
are  in  the  way  of  honours  and  dignities.  I  beg  their  lordships'  and 
holiness's  pardon  for  having  so  long  postponed  to  do  them  .justice, 
and  I  make  haste  to  repair  my  fault.  Unlucky,  however^  I  know 
them  but  very  little,  for  my  relations  with  the  lords  of  the  Roman 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.         109 

Church  have  been  rare  and  'en  passant.'  Thank  God  my  native  land 
is  no  more  sullied  by  the  holy  see,  its  cardinals,  and  their  school  of 
licentiousness.  They  have  left  at  Avignon,  where  they  resided  dur- 
ing the  great  schism,  traces  enough  of  their  passage,  as  I  myself 
have  ascertained  in  my  frequent  intercourse  with  this  land.  I  caii 
say  nothing  about  the  pope  but  what  every  body  knows;  I  will  make 
only  this  reflection,  which  has  struck  me,  viz.,  that  he  causes  him- 
self to  be  almost  worshipped;  and  that  he  receives  more  honours  in 
a  day  than  Christ  in  the  three  years  of  his  mission. 

"Among  French  bishops,  I  know  but  three;  mine  own^  of  whom 
I  will  not  speak  for  pertinent  reasons,  :M.  de  Cheverus,  archbishop 
of  Bordeaux,  and  M.  de  Guelin,  of  Paris.  As  for  M.  de  Cheverus,  I 
should  be  reproached  by  my  conscience  if  I  said  other  than  good  of 
him.  He  is  one  of  those  men  who  atone  for  the  crimes  of  many 
Catholics.  His  virtues  recall  those  of  Fenelon  and  of  Lamotte,  who 
were  truly  good  and  pious  men,  not  because,  but  although  they  were 
Catholics.  His  administration  of  his  immense  diocess,  his  charity, 
his  talents,  have  won  to  him  all  hearts;  and  every  time  I  went  into 
his  diocess  I  heard  everywhere  public  blessings  upon  him.  He  has 
been  created  cardinal  lately.  He  is  one  of  those  men  whom  Roman 
purple  honours  not,  but  whom  honours  Roman  purple. 

"I  could  give,  perhaps  some  vague  accounts  of  other  bishops;  but 
I  have  made  it  a  rule  to  speak  only  of  what  I  myself  know,  and  have 
seen  with  my  own  eyes.     Therefore  I  will  speak  only  of  the  arch- 
bishop of  Paris.     This  man,  who  cut  so  deplorable  a  figure  in  the 
secret  council  called  the  Camarilla,  which  has  destroyed  the  throne 
of  Charles  X.  by  dint  of  its  follies,  has  all  the  dupliticty  and  hypoc- 
risy of  a  secret  counsellor.     Under  the  veil  of  piety  and  virtue,  he 
conceals  marvellously  well  his  deep  corruption.     So  far  does  he  go 
in  his  Jesuitical  art,  that  many  a  Parisian,  who  may  read  this  book, 
will  perhaps  think  me  a  slanderer;  but  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  I 
have  by  accident  been  personally  acquainted  with  one  of  his  mis- 
tresses.    It  is  also  true  that  his  highness  has  many  others  in  the 
convent  of  the  Cai-melites  in  the  street  'Saint  Jacques,'  his  seraglio. 
It  is  no  less  true  that  the  pimples  upon  his  face,  ascribed  by  his 
admirers   to   penance   and    mortification,   are   derived   from    quite   a 
different  source.     When,  four  years  ago,  the  mob  of  Paris,  in  one 
of   those    awful    insurrections    so    frequent   there,    passed    over    his 
palace  and  pillaged  it,  many  gowns,  which  were  not  the  least  like  a 
priest's  cassock,  were  found  in  his  cabinet.     His  confidants  published 
that  they  were  those  of  his  sister;  who,  by  the  way.  never  went  to 
this  palace.     Credit  .Tudaeus  apella  non  ego.     He  is  the  only  bishop 
of  whom  I  can    or  wish,  to  give  an  accurate  account.     Would  it  not 
be  right  to  say  with  Sinon,  in  Virgilius,  'Ab  uno  disce  omnesl'  " 


110         POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Evil  of  Auricular  Confession;  the  Priests'  Substitution  for  Mar- 
riage Far  Worse;  Religious  Societies;  the  "Blessed  Creatures;" 
Qualifications  of  a  Priest  to  Become  a  Member  of  One  of  These 
Religious  Societies;  Penalties  Imposed  on  "Blessed  Creatures" 
Who  are  Faithless  to  Their  Vows;  How  Their  Scrupler:  as  to 
Joining  These  Organizations  are  Overcome. 

WHY    PRIESTS    DO   NOT   WED;    OR,   THE    PRIESTS'    SUBSTITU- 
TION FOR  MARRIAGE. 

AURICULAR  confession  is  bad.  It  is  believed  by  those  who  know 
most  about  it,  to  be  the  plot  of  the  Devil  against  virtue  and 
against  the  home.  There  is  this  that  makes  it  to  be  tolerated 
and  endured:  millions  think  it  linked  with  the  salvation 
of  the  soul;  they  believe  that  they  cannot  be  saved  apart 
from  it  or  without  it;  that  they  must  confess  their  sins 
to  a  priest,  no  matter  how  vile,  how  polluted,  or  how 
much  he  be  opposed  to  virtue,  in  order  that  they  may  obtain 
absolution.  To  strike  auricular  confession,  is  to  interfere,  in  the 
opinion  of  many,  with  the  religion  of  their  fellow-men — a  right 
which  it  is  claimed  is  guaranteed  to  them  by  the  Constitution;  as 
though  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  or  of  any  other  coun- 
try, could  guarantee  to  a  man  the  right  to  be  damned.  The  Con- 
stitution guarantees  to  every  man  the  right  to  be  saved — the  right 
to  believe  the  truth,  and  to  be  blessed  by  it.  The  right  to  believe  a 
lie  that  they  may  be  damned,  belongs  to  no  one,  since  God  Almighty 
sits  on  the  throne  of  His  universe,  and  Jesus  Christ,  His  only  begot- 
ten Son,  is  the  one  Mediator  between  God  and  man.  The  command 
is,  "Go  preach  the  gospel  that  saves,  to  every  creature.  He  that 
believes  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved;  he  that  believeth  not  shall 
be  damned."  No  man  has  a  right  to  commit  suicide.  "Cut  him 
down  before  he  breathes  his  last,"  is  the  manifest  duty  of  every- 
body when  he  sees  the  victim  of  madness  suspended  by  the  neck. 
Nor  have  men  and  women  the  right  to  exchange  Christ  the  Saviour 
for  man  the  priest;  the  "Come  unto  me,  ye  heavy  laden,"  of  the 
God-man,  for  the  command  which  makes  millions  throng  the  con- 
fessional. Tell  this  truth,  tell  it  now,  tell  it  here,  tell  it  every- 
where; it  is  a  God-given  right  to  publish  it,  and  so  to  save  men.  It 
is  not  any  man's  right  to  withhold  it,  and  suffer  the  lost  unwarned 
to  go  down  to  hell. 


TOrEPvY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMEKICANS.  Ill 

Auricular  confession  is  bad,  and  yet  for  the  sake  of  false  views 
concerning  religious  liberty  it  is  tolerated.     But 

SUBSTITUTION  FOR  MARRIAGE 

is  without  excuse,  unless  the  American  people  consent  to  allow  mil- 
lions to  sink  into  the  mire  of  filthy  abominations,  without  a  protest 
and  without  warning.  There  are  things  about  it  from  which  the 
pure  in  heart  draw  back  in  horror. 

There  are  many  reasons  why  priests  should  wed.  They  are  men; 
and  God  says  "it  is  not  good  for  man  to  be  alone."  "Marriage  is 
honorable  for  all,  and  the  bed  undefiled"- — for  priests,  as  well  as  for 
ministers  of  the  gospel,  or  other  men.  The  vow  of  celibacy  is  proven 
to  be  deceptive  and  vain.  History  with  trumpet  tone  declares  that 
priests  do  not  keep  the  vow.  The  theologians  of  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic Church  palliate  their  crime,  and  cover  their  lapse  of  virtue  with 
the  mantle  woven  out  of  the  alleged  weaknesses  of  human  nature, 
matched  by  temptations  which  are  unparallelled.  For  this,  marriage 
is  a  remedy.  Priests  know  it;  priests  say  it.  Priests  to  gratify  their 
carnal  appetites,  are  compelled  to  find  their  warrant  to  sin  in  the 
violation  of  the  plainest  and  most  positive  teachings  of  the  Word  of 
God.  Here  Romanism  baffles  us  and  beats  us.  The  victim  of  super- 
stition hides  behind  indulgences  granted  by  pope  or  bishop,  and 
goes  on  to  ruin. 

As  a  rule  the  man  who  hints,  who  deals  in  innuendoes,  is  to  be 
despised.  To  tell  the  truth  about  the  corruptions  disclosed  through 
the  attempt  to  find  a  substitution  for  marriage,  in  the  invention  of 
Pio  Nono,  and  to  uncover  the  filth,  the  turpitude,  the  devilish 
ingenuity  of  the  vile,  seems  to  be  impossible.  As  we  have  said,  so 
we  repeat. 

Auricular  confession  is  bad.  But  "Substitution  for  marriage 
for  priests"  reveals  a  deeper  depth  of  shame,  a  more  diabolical  plot 
against  virtue,  and  a  wantonness  on  the  part  of  these  professed 
leaders  of  millions,  which  may  be  imagined,  but  cannot  be  described. 
Father  Quinn,  formerly  pastor  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in 
Kalamazoo,  Mich.,  was  the  man  who  uncovered  the  rascality  and 
robbery  of  Archbishop  Purcell.  That  was  much.  The  writing  of 
this  book,  and  the  horrid  revelations  he  makes  of  the  turptitude 
and  infamies  of  the  priesthood,  would  be  beyond  belief  were  it  not 
for  such  statements  as  have  been  made  by  Rev.  Anthony  Gavin,  an 
Episcopal  minister  of  England,  William  Hogan,  an  ex-priest  of 
Rome,  and  many  more.  Father  Quinn  publishes  these  facts  that  all 
persons,  who  desire  to  know,  may  know,  what  perils  threaten  the 


112         POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICAXS." 

people  of  America  by  lowering  the  standard  of  morality.  He  feels 
that  all  loving  their  families,  friends,  neighbors,  and  country,  ought 
to  be  thoroughly  informed  on  the  question  of  vital  importance. 

The  institution  is  thus  described:  "In  the  year  1866,  Pope  Pius 
IX.  sanctioned  the  establishment  of  one  of  the  most  appalling  insti- 
tutions of  immorality  and  wickedness  ever  countenanced  under  the 
form  and  garb  of  religion,  virtually  adding  another  plague-spot  to 
that  vile  body,  the  mother  of  harlots,  papalism,  and  thus  giving  to 
his  clergy  the  right  (which  they  had  already  taken  in  various  ways) 
to  use  this  'substitution  for  marriage.' 

"This  organization,  then,  with  all  its  glaring  indecencies,  its 
frightful  operations,  its  unlicensed  privileges,  its  revolting  and 
heart-rending  outrages,  is  one  more  outgrowth  of  celibacy,  one  more 
hell-trap  set  for  the  unwary  by  the  pious  frauds  of  a  system  rotten 
with  the  accumulated  iniquity  of  ages — a  system  which  can  flourish 
only  through  the  ignorance  of  its  followers,  the  blindness  and  indif- 
ference of  Protestants,  and  the  patience  of  God,  before  w^hose  laws 
and  teachings  it  must  fail." 

"Many  good  charitable  people  revered  the  late  Pope  as  a  saint 
believed  the  many  false  reports  issued  from  Rome  concerning  his 
virtues  and  poverty,  and  contributed  generously  to  the  appeals  made 
frequently  by  his  hired  tools  all  over  the  country;  though  his  purity 
was  no  better  than  his  pretended  poverty,  who  died  with  a  fortune 
of  twenty-three  millions  of  dollars  in  one  bank,  over  thirty  millions 
in  other  banks,  and  real  estate,  with  sundry  stocks,  to  the  value  of 
sixty  millions  or  more." 

"Poor  old  man!      Pious  fraud, 

"Who  worshipped  gold  far  more  than  God." 

"And  yet  the  only  heritage  he  left  was  this  'substitution  for  mar- 
riage,' to  be  handed  down  as  the  Pope's  invention  to  save  the  Church 
from  public  scandal,  and  prevcent  heretics  from  discovering,  if  pos- 
sible, the  rottenness  prevailing  among  priests  from  the  lowest  in 
office  to  the  highest  old  gray-headed  wolf  in  the  fold.  Accordingly 
the  best,  safest,  and  most  expeditious  plans  were  thought  out  and 
adopted  for  the  enslavement  of  women,  by  making  them  "Blessed 
Creatures,"  or  consecrated  prostitutes,  to  be  used  as  vessels  of  elec- 
tion by  the  "reverened  fathers  in  God." 

"Thus,  in  many  cities  of  the  United  States  and  Canada  are 
flourishing  societies,  having  the  sanction  of  the  Pope,  and  bearing 
the  name  of  'Rosary,'  'Compline,'  'Sacred  Heart,'  'Immaculate  Con- 
ception,' or  such  pious  titles  as  may  be  calculated  to  awaken  no  sus- 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.         113 

picion."  Only  those  are  initiated  into  the  secret  order  of  the 
"Blessed  Creatures,"  "who  are  especially  fitted  by  disposition,  train- 
ing and  selection,  to  join  the  order."  The  many  are  called,  but  few 
are  chosen.  The  proofs  of  this  order  ar^  said  to  be  abundant.  "The 
first  evidence  came  through  the  confessional,  from  some  of  the 
women  who  had  been  members,  and  who  had  left  their  former 
homes  to  get  rid  of  the  burden  of  such  a  life.  In  all  cases  examined, 
the  badges,  pictures,  instruments,  and  printed  matter  were  invaria- 
bly the  same;  also  the  statements  made  were  identical  (in  sub- 
stance) throughout.  There  are  now  in  safe  keeping  three  copies  of 
the  book  wliich  is  used  as  the  guide  or  manual  of  the  confraterni- 
ties," and  stamp  the  order  as  the  monstrosity  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 

QUALIFICATIONS. 

The  priest  who  becomes  a  member  of  these  societies  must  have 
served  in  the  priesthood  at  least  seven  years.  This  is  the  general 
rule.  There  are  exceptions  made  decause  of  favoritism  gained  by 
wealth,  power,  flattery,  or  praise  for  their  superiors,  some  of  whom 
are  as  low  in  deceit  and  Injustice  as  the  cruel  and  dishonest  Purcell 
of  Cincinnarti,  charged  with  robbing  his  people  of  seven  million  dol- 
lars. 

"The  female,  to  be  a  suitable  candidate  for  membership,  must 
be  perfectly  pliant,  docile,  and  obedient.  She  must  be  sound  and 
healthy  in  mind  and  body,  free  from  scrofula  and  all  impurity,  as 
nothing  diseased  can  touch  the  sacred  bodies  of  these  'holy  fathers.' 
She  must  be  considered  good-looking,  if  not  really  handsome,  at 
least  so  held  in  the  estimation  of  these  priestly  judges.  She  must 
be  satisfied  with  all  proofs  given  in  favor  of  the  societies,  and  feel 
honored  with  the  privileges  and  duties  thereof.  She  must  be  willing 
to  support,  if  need  be,  any  father  who  may  be  poor  (or  reckoned 
poor),  as  compared  with  some  others.  She  must,  if  not  sick,  go  at 
every  call  to  minister  to  the  father,  or  any  of  the  fathers  who  hold 
the  office  of  president,  secretary,  treasurer,  or  grand  chaplain.  She 
must  submit      *      *      * 

■She  must,  if  possible,  attend  all  the  society  masses,  and  take 
part  in  keeping  the  altar  sanctuary,  and  vestments  in  good  order^ 
and  must  also  pay  her  portion  for  the  purposes  of  the  altar  when 
requested,  beside  paying  twenty-five  cents  a  month,  or  that  sum 
every  week,  if  at  all  convenient.  This  money  is  paid  by  all  who  are 
not  'B..  C.'s,'  but  who  are  members  of  those  religious  societies,  so 
that  the  B.  C.'s  have  to  do  likewise  to  keep  up  this  deception,  and 


114         POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

pay  the  priest  for  the  honor  conferred."     Can  such  things  be,  and 
overcome  us  as  a  summer  cloud  without  our  wonder? 

She  must  be  subservient  to  the  will  of  her  masters  at  all  times. 
"One  gi'eat  principle  pei'Tadin>o;  the  whole  membership  is  that  evei'y 
'B.  C  must  deny  the  knowledge  or  existence  of  such  a  society,  life, 
of  body  of  women  in  the  Church  (should  she  be  accused),  under  pain 
of  persecution  and  death." 

THE  PENALTIES 

of  the  societies  imposed  on  faithless  members  vary  according  to  cir- 
cumstances. Fasting  a  certain  number  of  days,  attending  the  sanc- 
tuary a  certain  number  of  times,  extra  fees,  are  among  them.  Should 
any  "B.  C."  become  obstinate,  she  is  punished  until  she  submits.  "If 
a  nun  is  a  member  of  this  society,  and  confesses  that  she  has  *  * 
As  a  penalty  she  must  seek  an  early  opportunity  of  complying 
with  the  wishes  of  the  father,  as  delay  would  be  sinful." 

REASONS  FOR  JOINING. 

"The  inducements  held  out  for  joining  these  societies  are  com- 
plex and  varied,  as  different  modes  are  required  to  suit  the  charac- 
ter and  disposition  and  bearing  of  the  ladies  selected;  but  as  priests 
make  women  a  special  study,  and  have  become  conversant  with  the 
publicity,  artifice  and  cunning  of  human  nature  (by  means  of  the 
confessional),  it  is  only  a  question  of  time,  as  the  victim  is  bound, 
sworn,  and  delivered  to  the  tender  mercies  of  her  spiritual  adviser. 
After  the  emotional  nature  has  been  worked  up,  as  it  were,  to  the 
concert  pitch,  the  sexual  or  passionate  is  then  attacked;  and  success 
is  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  assured,  as  priests  know  exactly  the  kind 
of  material  they  work  upon."  Human  nature  run  by  the  Devil 
makes  a  success  in  the  Romish  Church.  How  carefully,  and  with 
what  specious  arguments,  these  smooth-tongued  villians  ingratiate 
themselves  into  the  favor  of  their  flock,  the  initiated  alone  can  tell; 
suffice  it  to  say,  they  rule,  they  sway  the  bodies  and  souls  of  their 
dupes,  touching  as  with  a  magic  wand  the  secret  springs  of  passion 
and  lust,  till,  like  a  "mighty  chorus,  the  spirits  of  evil  seem  to  con- 
gregate about  them,  and  revel  in  villiany  such  as  never  before  was 
perpetrated  under  the  sanction  of  any  religion  claiming  to  be  Chris- 
tion,  thus  rivalling  in  enormity  the  worst  and  most  licentious  insti- 
tutions of  paganism. 

The  Church  obtains  control  over  the  women  in  various  ways. 
"Some  are  naturally  so  full  of   passion  and   lust  that   they  gladly 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.         115 

avail  themselves  of  the  means  of  gratification,  so  protected  and 
secured  by  religion.  For  a  people  who  can  be  led  to  believe  that 
they  eat  and  drink  the  soul  and  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  can  be  led  to 
believe  any  thing." 

Their  perversion  of  Scripture,  and  what  Romanists  regard  as 
holy,  enable  them  to  accomplish  their  hellish  purposes.  The  orna- 
ments in  the  chapel  are  made  to  have  a  special  significance  and  a 
hidden  meaning  for  these  societies.  "The  Church  or  the  clergy 
obtain  complete  control  of  the  female's  will,  mind,  heart,  or  con- 
science, and  then  lay  claim  to  facts  (which  the  ladies  admit)  that 
the  papal  Church  is  the  true  Church  of  God,  established  by  Jesus 
and  His  apostles  to  govern  and  teach  all  who  wish  to  be  saved;  that 
there  is  also  much  mystery  connected  with  this  divine  Church  and 
its  practices,  and  that  it  is  the  conscientious  duty  of  every  one,  male 
and  female,  to  yield  a  wiling  and  hearty  obedience  to  the  voice  of 
the  priest,  who  is  the  true  representative  of  Jesus,  and  the  inter- 
preter of  God's  Church,  God's  will,  and  God's  mysteries."  Would 
you  see  the  lost  and  the  damned  playing  at  religion,  read  this. 
"The  cushion  on  which  the  woman  kneels  represents  that  on  which 
Mary  knelt  to  receive  the  heavenly  message  from  God  through  the 
mouth  of  His  angel." 

"Every  female,  in  being  persuaded  to  join,  must  count  herself 
as  highly  honored  and  exalted  as  Mary  was,  and  must  consider  her- 
self as  promoted  to  a  celestial  dignity  far  above  the  other  women  of 
the  parish  or  city  to  which  she  belongs,  as  Mary  was  promoted  to 
be  the  mother  of  Christ  by  operation  of  or  the  on-coming  of  the 
Being  called  the  Third  Person  of  the  Trinity." 

•At  first  the  female  may  be  a  little  timid,  and  somewhat  sur- 
prised to  learn  that  the  priest  or  bishop  requires  the  unusual, 
apparently  wrong,  mysteriously  right,  service  from  her;  and  she 
may  object,  as  Mary  did,  in  her  innocent  fear,  when  she  said  on 
hearing  the  unusual  announcement,  'How  can  this  be?  for  I  know 
not  a  man.'  But  the  priest,  representing  God's  angel  in  this  office, 
gently  soothes  the  mind  and  quiets  the  fears  of  his  future  spouse 
by  saying  to  her,  'He  who  will  come  upon  thee  is  not  man,  but  is 
the  holy  one  of  God,  and  this  union  is  pleasing  to  Him;  it  will  be 
holy  and  blessed;  therefore  I  say  unto  thee  as  the  angel  said  unto 
Mary,  Fear  not.'  After  this,  the  woman,  being  convinced  by  the 
language  of  heaven's  messenger,  that  all  is  right,  gives  the  priest 
complete  assurance  of  her  willingness  to  submit  by  saying,  as  Mary 
said  to  the  angel,  'Be  it  done  unto  me  according  to  thy  word.' 

"Then  there  are  a  few  mumbled  words  in  Latin,  a  sprinkling  of 
holy  water,  a  blessing  asked,  and  the  feast  is  ready  for  the  priest. 


116         POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

who  has  accomplished  by  mock  prayers  and  ceremonies  what  ought 
to  send  a  pang  through  his  accursed  heart. 

"There  is  a  picture  hanging  opposite  the  cushion,  representing 
the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  shape  of  a  white  dove,  signifying  to  the  soul 
of  the  woman  the  approval  of  Heaven,  and  the  perfect  purity  of  her 
submission  in  this  relation  to  the  priest,  and  coming  as  a  voice 
from  above  to  bless  their  union,  and  saying,  'This  is  my  beloved 
Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased:  hear  ye  him,  obey  him,  as  he 
desires,  as  did  the  holy  women  of  old  serve  Jesus.'  " 

"Another  picture  shadows  forth  the  angel  bearing  to  her  the 
commission  to  become  honored  among  women  by  joining  this  holy 
family.  Would  they  like  to  see  the  picture  of  that  God  who  says, 
Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery?" 

"There  is  also  a  statue  of  the  Virgin  Mary  to  signify  the  exalted 
position  these  females  will  occupy  in  the  Church  and  in  the  life  to 
come,  for  their  fidelity  in  this  matter."  Can  impiety  go  farther? 
Will  God  tolerate  it? 

"The  flowers  denote  the  beauty,  simplicity,  and  sweet-scented 
fragrance,  arising  from  and  adorning  the  consecrated  relations 
existing  between  these  'Blessed  Creatures'  and  the  Fathers." 

"The  lights  represent  not  only  the  joys  of  heaven,  but  the  many 
bright  spirits  above  looking  down  with  beaming  and  sparkling  eyes 
to  behold  these  holy  beings  in  the  courts  of  God  consummating  this 
divinely  appointed  act,  which  renders  them  pure  and  holy  forever." 

"The  holy  water  signifies  the  grace  of  God  which  passeth  'all 
understanding,'  purifying  their  bodies,  deeds,  and  souls,  as  mem- 
bers of  this  sacred  order." 

"The  book  in  the  priest's  hand  denotes  the  authority  and  sanc- 
tion of  heaven.  The  altar  typifies  the  throne  of  God.  The  missal 
or  Bible  betokens  the  voice  of  God,  pronouncing  a  blessing  on  the 
heads  of  his  devoted  children.  The  priest  assumes  to  be  a  substitute 
for  the  angel,  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  the  person  of  Jesus.  The  surplice 
which  he  wears  in  this  connection  indicates  the  purity  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  of  Mary.  The  stole  around  his  neck  represents  the  power  of 
Christ  and  the  bond  of  perfect  union  between  Jesus  Christ  and  him- 
self, and  as  binding  the  female  who  serves  him  to  God,  through 
Jesus,  so  that  by  this  tie  of  close  union  the  woman  and  the  priest 
are  one,  Jesus  and  the  priest  are  one,  as  Jesus  and  the  Father  are 
one;  thus  the  union  of  oneness  is  perfected." 

"If  all  this  be  right,  then  Protestant  ministers  and  other  men 
have  indeed  made  a  sad  mistake  in  being  encumbered  with  wives 
and  children.  Why  not  join  the  Papal  Church,  and  swell  the  num- 
ber of  fathers  not  husbands,  who  have  a  plurality  of  wives  or  spouses 


POPERY  SHOAVX  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  117 

in  Jesus,  and  then  palm  off  their  offspring  to  be  supported  by  chari- 
table institutions,  instead  of  rearing  and  caring  for  them  as  true 
God-fearing  parents?" 

"Many  arguments  from  the  Scriptures  are  then  introduced  to 
persuade  these  women  as  to  the  propriety  and  godliness  of  this 
institution;  and  it  will  be  seen  by  the  following  examples  how  they 
pervert  passages  to  their  own  destruction,  and  the  defilement  of 
many;  but  if  the  blind  follow  the  blind,  then  surely  they  will  fall 
into  the  pit  of  papal  corruption." 

"Now,  these  fathers  and  their  Church  teach  these  deluded 
women  that  Jesus  used,  in  this  peculiar  manner,  Mary  Magdalene 
and  other  women,  because  they  had  loved  and  served  Him  in  this 
manner  during  His  earthly  sojourn.  These  men,  although  they 
honor  and  praise  Him  in  public,  thus  ascribe  to  Him,  in  private,  an 
immorality  and  passion  such  as  so-called  infidels  have  rarely,  if 
ever,  mentioned  in  connection  with  Hi?  career  as  a  social  reformer. 
But  to  justify  this  course  of  iniquity,  and  to  convince  their  favorite 
female  slaves  that  they  are  right,  they  maintain  that,  as  Jesus  acted 
so  with  Mary  Magdalene  and  others,  such  actions  on  their  part  are 
virtuous." 

Without  intending  it,  they  show  why  priests  ought  to  marry, 
and  give  the  Scripture  for  it.  "They  adduce,  as  an  argument  in 
their  favor  on  this  point,  the  fact  that  Peter  a  great  saint,  was  a 
married  man,  retained  his  wife,  and  begat  children  while  acting  as 
one  of  the  apostles  of  Jesus;  claiming  that  Christ  approved  of 
Peter's  cohabiting  with  his  wife,  when  he  went,  as  recorded  by  the 
Evangelist,  and  healed  Peter's  mother-in-law.  They  quote  the  fol- 
lowing words  from  the  eighth  chapter  of  Matthew,  as  found  in  their 
own  Testament:  'And  when  Jesus  was  come  into  Peter's  house,  he 
saw  his  wife's  mother  lying  sick  of  a  fever;  and  he  touched  her 
hand,  and  the  fever  left  her,  and  she  arose  and  ministered  unto 
them.'  " 

"They  assert  that  the  clergy  from  the  days  of  Christ  to  the 
present,  have  used  women  in  this  way,  who  were  married  to  them 
privately,  and  blessed  for  their  special  comfort,  though  the  majority 
of  the  people  have  been  taught  that  such  was  wrong,  and  therefore 
not  allowed.  Then,  as  a  further  proof,  they  read  the  language  of 
St.  Paul,  as  found  in  1  Cor.  ix.  5 :  'Have  we  not  power  to  lead 
about  a  sister,  a  wife,  as  well  as  other  apostles,  and  as  the  brethren 
of  the  Lord,  and  Cephas  [Peter]?  or  I  only  and  Barnabas,  have  we 
not  power  to  do  this?' 

"Again,  they  say  the  Virgin  Mary  had  many  children,  and  prove 
it  by  the  statements  of  her  neighbors,  and  as  is  reported  in  Mark  vi. 


118         POPERY  SHOWa  up  TO  AMERICANS. 

3:  'Is  not  this  the  carpenter,  the  son  of  :Mary,  the  brother  of 
James  and  Joseph  and  Judge  and  Simon?  and  are  not  his  sisters 
here  with  us?'  In  this  they  are  right,  and  overthrow  the  doctrine 
of  the  immaculate  conception. 

"Besides,  they  produced  the  example  of  Solomon,  who  had  seve- 
ral hundred  wives  and  concubines;  and  of  the  patriarchs  and  proph- 
ets who  were  servants  of  God  though  they  too  had  several  women 
that  served  them  in  this  most  ancient,  natural,  and  divine  style  of 
wedlock."  What  a  plaything  this  Church  and  her  priests  make  of 
woman.  Scripture,  God  and  religion! 

iTor  instance,  they  quote  Paul's  words  to  Titus,  (Epistle  of  Paul 
to  Titus,  i.  5),  in  which  he  speaks  of  him  as  "his  own  son:"  "For 
this  cause  I  left  thee  in  Crete,  that  thou  shouldst  set  in  order  the 
things  that  are  wanting,  and  shouldst  ordain  priests,  as  I  also 
appointed  (ordained)  thee;  if  any  be  without  crime  the  husband  of 
one  wife,  having  faithful  children."  "Then  they  make  such  com- 
ments on  these  words,  which  are  generally  unknown  to  the  majority 
of  the  people,  as  will  cancel  all  doubt  concerning  the  authorized  mar- 
riage of  priests."  They  make  a  very  extensive  use  of  Paul's  writ- 
ings to  Timothy  and  Titus. 

To  prove  that  the  bishops  of  the  true  Church  were  married  men, 
they  quote  the  words  as  found  in  1  Tim.  iii.  1:  "It  behooveth  a 
bishop  to  be  blameless,  the  husband  of  one  wife,  one  who  ruleth 
well  his  own  house,  having  his  children  in  subjection  with  all  chas- 
tity." Then,  to  show  that  deacons  ought  to  be  married  men,  they 
refer  to  the  twelfth  verse  of  the  same  chapter  and  Epistle.  "Let 
deacons  be  the  husbands  of  one  wife,  who  rule  well  their  own 
children  and  their  own  houses."  The  eleventh  verse  of  the  same 
chapter  and  Epistle  is  then  introduced,  to  prove  the  rip"ht  of  faith- 
ful women,  who  must  be  considered  chaste  while  serving  the  clergy. 

To  accomplish  their  purpose,  the  Douay  Version  substitutes  the 
word  "women'"'  for  wives.  In  the  Protestant  Version,  it  is  written 
1  Tim.  iii.  11:  "Even  so  must  their  wives  be  grave,  not  slanderers, 
sober,  faithful  in  all  things."  In  the  Roman  Catholic  or  Douay  ver- 
sion it  reads:  "The  'women'  in  like  manner  chaste,  not  slanderers; 
but  sober,  faithful  in  all  things."  In  this  manner  is  the  wife  put 
away  from  the  priest.  "Portions  of  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth 
verses  of  the  same  chapter  and  Epistle  are  then  added  as  evidence 
that  this  was  practiced  in  the  true  Christian  Church:  'These  things 
I  write  to  thee,  that  thou  mayest  know  how  thou  oughtest  to  behave 
thyself  in  the  church  of  the  living  God,  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the 
truth.'  Then  the  whole  of  the  sixteenth  verse  is  finally  read  with 
great   emphasis   and    solemnity,    giving   the   key   or   explanation    of 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.         119 

such  service  and  mysterious  godliness;  and,  evidently,  'Great  is  the 
mystery  of  godliness,  which  was  manifested  in  the  flesh,  justified  in 
the  spirit,  appeared  unto  the  Gentiles  [women  converted  from 
Protestantism],  is  believed  in  the  world,  is  taken  up  in  glory.'  " 

It  will  be  noticed  how  much  of  Scripture  they  ignore.  In  Tim. 
i.  10,  it  is  declared  "that  there  are  many  disobedient  vain  talkers, 
and  seducers."  No  reference  is  made  to  this  fact  while  they  ply 
their  arts  for  the  destruction  of  the  simple. 

"They  say  that  their  secret  association  is  the  mystery  of  godli- 
ness, and  that  the  deacons  and  priests  and  bishops  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  were  chaste  while  married  and  begetting  children,  and  that 
each  of  these  clergymen  was  authorized  to  have  one  wife  and  several 
women  as  consecrated  mistresses  who  rendered  him  this  peculiar 
service,  which  was  according  to  the  flesh."  They  do  not  add  Paul's 
words:  "Because  of  fornication,  let  each  man  have  his  own  wife, 
and  let  each  woman  have  her  own  husband." 

"They  admit  that  the  Papal  Chvu'ch  made  a  gi-eat  mistake  in  ti*>'- 
ing  to  enforce  celibacy,  which,  being  contrary  to  nature  and  the 
laws  of  God,  has  been  the  source  of  shocking  corruption  and  scandal ; 
but  they  maintain  that  this  Church  has,  by  divine  authority,  substi- 
tuted this  blessed  institution,  rather  than  let  the  people  discover 
that  she  had  been  deceiving  them  for  ages  on  this  vital  question." 

Furthermore,  they  also  admit  that  the  explanation  of  the  words 
"one  wife,"  as  given  by  their  Church,  in  their  own  New  Testament, 
is  so  full  of  absurdity  that  it  would  destroy  the  inspiration,  and 
bring  swift  disgrace  upon  her,  if  it  were  followed  throughout,  and 
properly  brought  to  the  notice  of  her  subjects;  she  thinks  it  best, 
therefore,  to  keep  their  attention  away  from  that  and  other  parts  of 
Scripture,  thus  leaving  them  in  ignorance  of  her  many  deceptions. 

When  taking  the  language  of  their  Church  in  her  explanation 
of  these  two  words,  they  show  how  it  really  destroys  the  true  doc- 
trine of  Paul,  and  leaves  it  both  silly  and  senseless.  To  make  all 
this  clear  and  satisfactory  to  the  minds  of  their  ladies  elect,  they 
repeat  the  words  of  the  Papal  Church,  as  explaining  the  expression 
(or  words)  "one  wife,"  saying  they  mean  that  "no  one  shall  be 
admitted  to  the  holy  order  of  bishop,  priest,  or  deacon,  who  has 
been  married  more  than  once."  Now,  if  that  be  the  true  and  correct 
meaning  and  interpretation  of  those  two  words,  "one  wife,"  it  must 
then,  be  equally  correct  and  just  to  construe,  or  pervert,  the  remain- 
ing parts  of  the  verse,  and  say,  no  one  shall  be  admitted  to  these 
orders  who  has  been  "blameless"  more  than  once,  "sober"  more 
than  once,  "prudent"  more  than  once,  "of  good  behavior"  more 
than  once,   "chaste"   more  than  once,   "given   to   hospitality"   more 


120         POPERY  SHOWN  VF  TO  AMEPvICAXS. 

than  once,  or  "a  teacher"  more  than  once;  but  this  rendering  would 
manifestly  contradict  and  overturn  all  that  people  have  believed 
on  the  subject  since  the  beginning,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  honest 
reading  and  view  of  the  whole  verse  or  passage.  This  places  the 
Papal  Chufch  in  a  frightful  dilemma  before  her  own  followers,  and 
before  all  the  intelligent  people  of  the  world;-  for  she  must  admit 
that  she  has  given  a  wrong  explanation  of  these  words,  "one  wife," 
to  uphold  her  false  doctrine  on  celibacy,  or  she  must  admit  that, 
according  to  her  explanation,  no  one  is  to  be  ordained  as  a  priest, 
bishop,  or  deacon,  if  he  has  been  blameless,  sober,  chaste,  hospita- 
ble, etc.,  etc.,  more  than  once;  but  as  this  would  imply  and  mean 
that  a  man,  to  be  qualified  for  admission  to  any  of  these  orders, 
should  have  been  impure,  inhospitable,  ill-behaved,  incompetent  to 
teach,  etc.,  etc.,  it  would  make  her,  in  the  estimation  of  all  sensible 
people,  a  very  dangerous  guide,  an  unsafe  and  most  fallible  teacher. 

These  and  other  false  explanations  of  the  Papal  Church,  if  dis- 
covered by  her  people,  would  cause  them  to  revolt  against  her,  and 
abandon  her  teachings  as  pernicious,  as  unchristian;  but  as  her 
numerous  perversions  and  corruptions  must,  at  all  hazards,  be 
screened  and  defended,  her  clergy  feel  justified  in  denying  or  con- 
cealing the  fact  that  she  has  departed  from  the  apostolic  silence 
on  all  questions  which,  if  duly  investigated,  would  drive  her  to 
destruction,  and  bring  upon  her  the  odium  and  contempt  sTie  has 
earned  by  a  long,  unscrupulous  course  of  avarice,  hypocrisy,  deceit, 
and  carnage. 

Without  entering  further  into  this  disgusting  recital,  is  it  not 
patent  to  all  that  the  marriage  of  priests  is  a  necessity  for  the 
preservation  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  America?  Can  the 
rotten  stench  be  tolerated  in  its  present  state?  We  know  that  with 
heartless  arrogance  they  protect  themselves  and  the  wickedness  of 
their  Church  system.  Their  ungovernable  avarice  subverts  in  them 
fidelity,  integrity,  all  principles  of  honor,  and  fills  them  with  impu- 
dence, cruelty,  irreligion,  lust,  and  gross  venality. 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.         121 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Extracts  From  the  Book  by  Rev.  Dr.  Justin  D.  Pulton,  Entitled 
"Why  Priests  Should  Wed;"  Initiation  of  the  Priests  and 
"Blessed  Creatures;"  Insignia  of  the  "Blessed  Creatures;" 
Places  and  Arrangements  to  Perform  Special  Obligations;  Defi- 
nition of  a  Romanist. 

INITIATION. 

TO  make  the  impression  lasting,  and  give  the  form  of  sacredness 
and  solemnity  to  the  affair  with  its  obligations,  the  Papal 
Church  requires  both  the  priest  and  the  female  to  observe 
many  ceremonies  at  the  time  of  initiation.  Some  of  the  pomp,  shows, 
music,  pictures,  candles,  incense,  bells,  holy  water,  together  with  all 
the  paraphernalia  used  by  the  Church  on  important  occasions,  is  now 
brought  into  requisition  to  mystify  and  impress  the  victim. 

"The  priest  who  is  to  bless  or  receive  the  female  is  robed  in 
cassock,  surplice,  and  stole.  The  female  usually  wears  a  white  veil; 
kneels  on  a  cushion  before  the  officiating  clergyman  who  has  power 
to  bless  and  consecrate  her  for  such  holy  uses,  holding  in  her  hand 
a  lighted  candle,  while  the  priest  asks  her  the  usual  questions;  she 
answers  all  promptly,  and  swears  to  obey  and  perform  all  enjoined.'" 

She  swears  implicit  obedience  to  all  clergymen  who  are  members 
of  the  society,  especially  to  him  who  shall  be  her  pastor,  and  also 
to  be  most  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  all  duties,  particularly  in  not 
revealing  the  secrets,  duties,  or  insignia  of  the  society.  She  swears 
to  watch  the  conduct  and  language  of  every  female  member,  and  to 
report  the  same  to  any  of  the  priests  or  bishops  having  control. 
She  swears  to  take  part  in  opposing  and  pursuing,  even  to  death, 
every  member  who  may  become  dissatisfied  with  the  requirements  of 
the  clerical  members.  She  swears  to  defend  every  clergyman  who 
is  a  member,  on  all  occasions,  and  deny  under  oath,  if  need  be,  every 
charge  or  statement  made  against  him  by  any  member  who  may 
report  to  the  outside  world,  find  fault,  or  complain  of  the  society 
or  its  proceedings.  She  swears  to  submit  to  punishment  herself  in 
case  she  should  displease  her  superiors  in  any  of  their  demands.  If 
she  is  a  married  woman,  when  she  is  admitted  into  this  order,  she 
promises  to  be  faithful  to  her  pastor,  and  to  consider  him,  if  a  mem- 
ber, and  serve  him  in  all  things,  as  her  only  true  and  lawful 
husband,  blessed  before  God  and  his  Church,  and  also  agree  tO' 
abstain  from  sei'\ing  her  ostensible  husband,  as  the  laws  of  the 
Church  are  more  binding  than  the  laws  of  man. 


122         POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

She  agrees  to  get  what  money  she  can  from  her  apparent  hus- 
band for  the  support  of  the  priest  and  Church,  and  to  persuade  him 
that  she,  though  living  in  the  same  house  with  him,  can  no  longer 
live  as  a  wife  to  him,  but  has  to  consecrate  her  whole  being  to  the 
service  of  God  and  his  holy  Church  by  trying  to  live  a  life  of  virtue 
and  holiness,  saying  she  would  displease  God,  and  defile  her  body, 
by  being  his  wife  in  that  one  respect,  and  that  it  would  be  contrary 
to  the  vow  she  took  when  she  became  a  member  of  one  of  the 
"Blessed  Confraternities"  belonging  to  the  Church. 

Some  husbands  have  actually  believed  all  this,  and,  out  of 
respect  for  the  apparent  religious  wishes  and  scruples  of  their  wives, 
have  lived  and  are  now  living  in  the  same  house,  supporting  and 
caring  for  them,  supposing  that  God,  conscience,  purity,  and  religion 
are  the  only  motives  actuating  their  once  loving  and  truthful  com- 
panions, whom  they  wedded  in  all  confidence  and  love.  As  to  the 
marriages  of  heretics,  the  Papal  Church  holds,  both  theoretically 
and  practically,  as  far  as  possible,  that  they  are  null  and  void,  and 
that  the  offspring  of  such  marriages  are  illegitimate,  or,  in  the 
language  of  the  priests,  are  bastards. 

"The  Papal  Church  maintains  that  no  clergyman  belonging  to 
her  can  be  married,  and  does  not  consider  the  bishops  and  priests 
who  have  left  her,  and  married,  as  being  at  all  married;  yet  secretly 
she  allows  her  chief  priests  and  bishops,  who  are  members  of  these 
infamous  societies,  to  make  these  deluded  women  believe  that  they, 
as  members,  are  truly  and  honorably  married,  and  so  much  so  that 
they  are  not  permitted  to  live  as  wives  with  their  husbands.  While 
they  are  not  permitted  to  have  wives  of  their  own,  the  Pope  per- 
mits them  to  have  somebody's  else  wife,  and  so  debauch  woman, 
and  wreck  the  home. 

"When  the  females  have  duly  vowed  to  serve  the  clergy,  who 
represent  Christ  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  have  bound  themselves 
to  observe  all  obligations  laid  upon  them,  by  giving  every  assur- 
ance that  henceforth  they  will  serve  all  priests  and  bishops,  obey, 
honor,  and  respect  them  as  the  pure,  holy  representatives  of  Jesus 
— for,  in  fact,  they  consider  all  priests  and  bishops  thus  joined  to 
them  in  holy  wedlock  as  Jesus  or  as  the  Holy  Ghost — then  the  offi- 
ciating clergyman  concludes  the  ceremony  by  sprinkling  the  initiated 
with  holy  water,  and  bestowing  upon  her  the  name  of  the  'Blessed 
Creature.'  And  thus  by  the  initials  'B.  C  at  the  top  or  end  of  a 
note  or  letter,  they  frequently  make  themselves  known  to  each 
other." 

Well  does  Father  Quinn  ask,  "If  this  be  right  for  some,  why  not 
for  all?     If  clergymen  can  have  several  women,  married  or  single, 


POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  123 

why  may  not  laymen  indulge  in  this  manner?"  Is  it  not  possible 
that  this  accounts  for  the  prostitution  in  Roman  Catholic  circles? 
The  commandments,  "Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery,"  "Thou 
Shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  wtfe,"  are  trampled  into  the  dust. 
"When  a  church  becomes  a  leper  on  the  body  of  the  community, 
it  should  be  avoided."  The  Papal  Church  poisons  all  who  come 
under  her  influence. 

INSIGNIA   OF    "B.   C." 

"These  'Blessed  Creatures'  have  certain  badges  of  insignia,  by 
which  they  can  easily  be  recognized  as  members  by  the  Fathers  at 
home  or  abroad.  That  which  is  considered  of  the  most  importance 
is  the  image  of  the  Virgin  JMary  with  the  Child  Jesus  in  her  arms." 

"A  brass  or  silver  case,  with  a  tiny  glass  door  or  window  in  front, 
encloses  the  image;  a  covering  of  leather,  morocco,  or  silk,  is  fre- 
quently used  as  an  outside  casing  or  protection  for  the  more  solid 
and  costly  one,  lest  it  be  damaged  or  broken.  The  Virgin  Mary  is 
the  protectress  of  the  entire  organization.  These  B.  C.'s.  pray  to 
Mary  to  help  them  to  be  perfectly  resigned  to  the  will  of  the  Father, 
as  she  was  to  the  will  and  demand  of  God,  and  the  operation  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  as  well  as  to  Joseph. 

They  ask  her  to  prevent  conception,  or,  if  that  must  take  place, 
to  assist  them  in  pregnancy  and  childbirth." 

"They  implore  her  to  guard  their  bodily  health,  and  to  restore 
it  if  at  any  time  it  should  suffer  from  any  duty  or  service  in  the 
confraternity.  They  believe  in  the  Virgin's  willingness  to  shield 
them  from  scandal,  exposure,  disease,  or  death,  while  undergoing 
the  operation  necessary  to  produce  abortion." 

"They  are  required  to  keep  one  of  these  images  constantly  in 
the  house,  and  as  near  their  persons  as  practicable,  so  that  they 
may  look  through  the  little  door  or  window,  and  see  the  Virgin  and 
Child,  and  pray  to  her  for  aid  and  protection." 

"Another  badge  is  a  pair  of  silken  mittens,  generally  very  white 
and  knit  by  hand.  They  cover  the  fingers  from  the  middle  joint  up 
over  the  hand,  wrist,  and  half  the  fore-arm.  If  a  'B.  C.'  is  a  special 
favorite  by  reason  of  her  beauty,  etc.,  she  is  honored  by  a  present  of 
a  very  beautiful  pair  from  the  highest  officer,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  her  known  to  the  Fathers  when  in  a  strange  home  or 
country." 

"Then  each  'B.  C  is  provided  with  a  ring  which  is  plain,  and 
worn  on  the  third  finger  of  the  left  hand  as  the  wedding  ring;  or  it 
may  be  worn  on  the  corresponding  finger  on  the  right  hand.     These 


124         POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

are  the  articles  generally  used  in  public,  and  by  them,  or  any  one 
of  them,  with  a  certain  grip  of  the  hand,  a  'B.  C  can  make  herself 
known  to  any  of  the  Fathers,  without  detection  by  strangers.  But 
the  most  private  and  cherished  articles  of  insignia  are  the  twelve 
napkins  or  handkerchiefs.      *      *      * 

THE  BOOK. 

"If  any  change  is  made  in  the  grips,  insignia,  letters,  etc.,  the 
old  features  are  retained  until  all  are  instructed.  Books  containing 
the  insignia  are  circulated  in  a  guarded  manner.  The  Fathers  can 
recognize  a  'B.  C  in  Europe,  in  Canada,  or  in  the  United  States,  as 
easily  as  they  can  count  their  beads." 

PLACES  AND  ARRANGEMENTS. 

"A  list  of  the  females  is  usually  kept  in  the  vestry  or  priest's 
house,  where  the  'B.  C  may  see  it  every  morning  after  mass.  There 
is  a  frame  with  a  wooden  back  having  many  squares  or  locks 
marked  upon  it,  like  a  checker-board,  and  on  each  square  the  name 
of  one  of  the  'B.  C.'s  is  written  or  printed.  A  hole  is  bored  in  each 
block,  and  in  it  a  little  peg  is  inserted.  When  the  peg  it  out,  the 
'B.   C  whose  name  is  in  that  square  knows  that  she  is  required. 

*  *  *  *  When  the  'B.  C  is  absent,  her  name  is  removed  from 
the  frame.  In  some  parishes,  however,  the  order  of  using  the  peg  is 
reversed."  The  Father,  before  leaving  the  sanctuary,  notices  where 
these  'B.  C.'s  have  pews,  makes  his  selection,  and  having  taken  off 
his  vestments,  and  made  a  mock  thanksgiving  halt,  takes  the  peg 
out,  or  in  some  unsuspicious  manner  makes  known  his  good  pleas- 
ure to  the  one  elected,  who  gladly  *  *  *  Every  ^B.  C  knows 
the  day  or  week  of  *  *  *  and  if  weakness,  sickness  or  com- 
pany prevents,  she  communicates  the  fact  to  the  Holy  Father." 

The  priest's  housekeeper,  or  so-called  niece,  even  when  she  is  a 
member,  often  becomes  jealous  of  these  favorite  "B.  C.'s"  and  mani- 
fests much  reluctance  if  in  any  way  she  is  to  show  courtesy  or  kind- 
ness while  they  are  present;  and  many  a  tempest  is  raised  in  the 
priest's  house  by  these  fair  inmates.  So  priests,  as  well  as  other 
men,  are  made  to  feel  that  "hell  has  no  fury  like  a  woman  scorned." 

*  *  *  and  well  enough  to  attend  to  his  duties,  this  one 
included." 

A  common  place  for  the  performance  of  these  special  obligations 
is  a  room  in  the  Father's  house  which  is  kept  for  that  purpose,  and 
is  frequently  taken  care  of  by  his  housekeeper  if  she  be  a  member; 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  125 

otherwise  the  "B.  C."  who  serves  that  day  cleans  and  regulates  it 
to  suit  herself.  Sometimes  there  is  a  room  in  the  parish  school- 
house,  whenever  that  can  be  done  without  awakening  suspicion  or 
creating  scandal.  A  neat  little  bed,  called  a  bed  of  the  family,  is 
blessed  by  one  of  the  Fathers,  and  consecrated  to  this  use.  A 
statue  of  Mary,  with  the  Infant  Jesus  in  her  arms,  covered  with  a 
white  veil,  stands  in  one  corner  of  the  room.  Two  or  more  blessed 
candles  are  burning  at  the  foot  of  the  statue,  or  on  a  small  altar 
which  is  usually  kept  in  these  rooms,  or  in  rooms  in  the  homes  of 
these  "B.  C.'s."  There  are  rooms  elegantly  and  sumptuously  fur- 
nished for  this  purpose  in  the  homes  of  the  higher  dignitaries,  in 
which  these  officials  entertain  for  a  considerable  time  their  most 
favored  and  beautiful  "B.  C.'s."  Some  of  the  titled  ambassadors 
of  the  Pope  spend  many  an  hour  on  their  knees,  *  *  *  revell- 
ing dulciana.  Many  thousand  dollars  have  been  expended  on  these 
women,  and  many  a  time  has  the  chant,  with  the  words  so  often 
sung  at  the  offertory  of  the  mass,  been  poured  into  the  ear  of  these 
adorable  darlings.  "The  choir  may  not  understand  the  meaning  ot 
the  words;  but  the  Fathers  do  know  and  express  their  full  deep 
meaning,  with  all  fire  of  passion  and  lust,  when  singing  or  inter- 
preting them  for  the  amusement  of  the  'B.  C.'s'  whose  presence 
thrills  and  inspires  these  lecherous  priests,  who  rapturously  trans- 
late in  the  quiet  of  the  'blessed  room,'  'O  sponsa  mea,  dilecta  veni, 
amplecti  te  desidero.'  Then  they  ask,  'Do  you  understand,  my 
darling,  all  these  words  imply?'  when  they  receive  the  answer  'No,' 
they  say,      *      *      * 

"These  words  are  sacred,  and  are  used  by  the  holy  Church  of 
God  to  express  the  intense  love  and  heartfelt  desire  I  now  have,  at 
this  moment,  for  you,  and  to  embrace  you  as  my  true  spouse  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ;  for  the  Church  desires  that  the  clergy  as  mar- 
ried people  ought  to  show  and  feel  the  same  burning  affection  and 
admiration  for  Jesus,  for  his  people,  for  his  elect  and  cherished 
daughters,  of  whom  you  are  the  most  worthy,  my  own  blessed 
creature  and  lovely  spouse." 

"Such  is  a  fair  specimen  of  the  language  used  by  these  pious 
Fathers  when  making  over,  or  transforming,  their  flock  of  sheep, 
which  in  time  become  shorn  of  all  power  of  resistance,  and  as  plia- 
ble as  wax  or  putty." 

"Protestants,  together  with  Papists,  have  been  very  generous  in 
patronizing  big  fairs,  and  swelling  the  treasury  of  this  Church  by 
liberal  donations  for  the  ostensible  purpose  of  building  a  'new 
cathedral,'  'orphan  asylum,'  or  the  support  of  seminaries  and  vari- 
ous institutions  of  supposed  charity;   when,  in  reality,  a  large  por- 


126         POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

tion  of  such  money  has  been  expended  on  the  persons  or  for  the 
entertainment  of  these  'B.  C'.'s,'  while  the  remainder  is  retained  for 
various  uses,  such  as  buying  the  favor  of  the  Pope,  for  real  estate 
speculations,  for  sundry  securities,  bonds,  and  the  many  popular 
stocks  that  are  put  upon  the  market,  to  say  nothing  of  the  large 
supplies  of  'Holland  gin,  choice  Maderia,  first-class  Cognac  brandy, 
pure  Bourdon,  old  Irish  and  Scotch  whiskey,'  strong  enough  and 
fiery  enough  to  send  a  torchlight  procession  through  their  brain 
and  stomach.  These  supplies  are  generally  of  more  consequence  to 
a  genuine  papal  priest  or  bishop  than  the  presence  of  the  grace  of 
God.  Imagine  one  of  these  apostles,  one  of  these  iK)or,  humble, 
abstemious  representatives  of  the  Church,  haying  constantly  in  his 
cellar  vault  from  three  hundred  to  three  thousand  dollars'  worth 
of  such  stuff,  while  hundreds  of  his  parishioners  are  starving  for 
bread." 

"Apartments  are  often  fitted  up  in  some  favorite  convent  for  one 
of  these  lordly  Fathers,  where  he  can  spend  a  few  days  in  private 
pleasure  and  meditation  with  his  chosen  'B.  C  The  excuse  assigned 
for  these  episcopal  visits  is  the  giving  of  the  veil,  or  receiving  the 
vows  of  females  who  have  abandoned  this  wicked  world,  and  are 
prepared  to  devote  their  remaining  days  to  God  or  to  that  Church  in 
a  nunnery.  Some  of  the  nuns  are  members  of  this  secret  organi- 
zation, and  are  bound  to  *  *  *  as  the  'B.  C.'s'  who  are  still 
in  the  world.  Many  of  the  nuns,  like  many  of  the  priests,  and  few 
of  the  bishops,  are  not  members,  and  know  nothing'  concerning  its 
existence,  oaths,  and  duties.  Sisters  and  nuns  are  not  allowed  to 
become  members  of  this  secret  society  before  they  have  spent  four 
years  in  the  convent,  after  'making  their  profession;'  they  are  not 
usually  admitted,  in  fact,  before  serving  five,  six,  or  seven  years, 
after  they  have  taken  their  final  vows,  and  have  received  all  the 
insignia  peculiar  to  the  sisterhood  which  they  join.  The  parents 
or  friends  of  the  young  ladies  about  to  become  nuns  attend  the 
grand  ceremony  or  wedding  of  these  brides  of  Jesus  Christ,  which 
wedding  may  be  only  the  foreshadowing  of  the  real  marriage,  when, 
blessed  anew,  they  become  privileged  to  enter  into  the  joy  awaiting 
them  in  their  union  with  these  Fathers  who  are  the  true  messengrs 
in  their  eyes  of  Jesus.  Many  priests  of  the  diocese  and  vicinity  are 
invited  to  participate  in  the  festivities.  A  grand  dinner  or  repast 
is  furnished.  The  young  ladies  who  attend  school  at  the  convent  are 
given  a  holiday,  and  the  sisters  spare  no  pains  to  make  all  things 
pleasing  and  attractive.  During  the  afternoon  the  visitors  return 
home.  Some  of  the  nuns  resume  their  ordinary  duties,  others,  with 
the  pupils,  continue  the  relaxation  and  merriment  to  a  late  hour, 


POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.         127 

whlie  to  the  eye  of  the  public  the  whole  affair  is  solemn  and 
impressive. 

"The  lordly  celebrant,  who  at  times  was  jolly,  prayerful,  and 
evidently  absorbed  in  deep  thought,  suddenly  becomes  very  much 
fatigued,  and  quietly  withdraws  to  the  apartments  so  tastefully,  and 
in  some  respects  gorgeously,  arranged  for  his  special  ease  and 
pleasure.  Nothing  more  is  known  to  the  public,  unless  the  news- 
papers write  up  the  remarkable  event;  and  remarkable  it  is  to  find 
free  women  in  this  America,  vow  themselves,  body,  brain,  reason, 
will,  soul,  and  all,  into  that  life  of  slavery,  not  knowing  what  may 
be  required  of  them  in  the  years  to  come  by  these  spiritual  vultures, 
not  knowing  the  day  when  they  may  be  dismissed  in  disgrace,  or 
poisoned  in  secret,  as  many  good  women  have  been,  for  no  other 
reason  than  that  the  bishop  or  superioress  desires  it  for  the  grati- 
fication of  personal  anger,  revenge,  jealousy,  or  self-interest,  which 
last  is  the  ruling  passion  or  motive  in  many  instances." 

"But  to  return  to  the  giving  of  the  veil.  Every  thing  is  done  to 
make  the  episcopal  visitation  pleasing  and  successful.  The  silver 
for  the  table,  with  many  rich  ornaments  for  the  rooms,  the  best 
and  most  palatable  food,  the  choicest  wines  and  liquors,  wait  the 
coming  of  his  lordship.  At  the  table  all  is  joy.  Some  fair  Cecilia 
In  a  room  near  by  performs  upon  the  harp  or  piano,  and  sings  a 
few  classic  pieces.     They  fill  up  with  music  and  with  wine." 

"Dinner  over,  he  climbs  to  his  throne.  Up  come  the  fair  and 
bow.  An  address  is  read  filled  with  fulsome  praise.  Night  prayers 
are  said.  The  bishop  goes  to  his  rooms,  which  are  adapted  to  his 
tastes,  wants,  and  privacy.  A  fair  supply  of  choice  things  to  eat 
and  drink  is  left  on  table.  The  'Blessed  Creature,'  whether  nun  or 
woman  of  the  world.  *  *  *  ^.11  is  hushed,  even  the  gentle 
footsteps  of  the  sisters,  passing  and  repassing  to  extinguish  the 
lights  and  examine  the  doors  before  they  retire  for  the  night." 

"It  frequently  happens  that,  instead  of  a  nun,  some  'B.  C  who 
is  a  convert  from  Protestantism  is  invited  by  his  lordship  to  meet 
him  there,  to  spend  some  days  and  nights  with  him.  When  that 
is  the  case,  the  preparations  are  almost  as  on  the  occasion  of  giving 
the  veil;  and  the  sisters  belonging  to  the  convent,  who  know  the 
whole  secret,  manage  to  disturb  or  visit  him  as  little  as  possible. 
The  excuse  which  the  bishop  gives  for  spending  so  much  time  with 
tnis  'B.  C  is,  that  she,  being  a  po^ivert.  needs  much  private  instruc- 
tion on  many  matters  of  importance  pertaining  to  their  religion; 
and  of  course  he  is  supposed  to  be  employed  in  making  plain  all 
difficult  points  of  doctrine  and  practice." 

"When  the  bishop  wishes  one  of  these  converts  to  meet  him  at 


128         POPERY  SHOAA^X  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

the  convent,  his  own  palace,  or  elsewhere,  for  the  purpose  described, 
he  usually  supplies  :  y  she  requires  for  jewelry 

and  other  ornaments  of  dress  to  make  her  attractive.  Such  a 
favorite  has  often  received  from  one  thousand  to  five  thousand  dol- 
lars for  one  such  visit.  One  of  those  'B.  C.'s'  had  fifteen  thousand 
dollars  a  year  while  she  endured  the  service,  and  continued  faith- 
ful; another  obtained  the  neat  sum  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  one 
year,  but  then  she  was,  in  the  estimation  of  the  bishop,  the  very  pink 
of  perfection.  She  had  a  cultivated  mind,  a  fine  pnysique,  a  classic 
head,  and  was  a  descendant  pf  a  family  that  once  had  rank,  wealth, 
and  social  influence.  She  became  a  member  of  the  'B.  C.'s',  and 
*  *  *  The  letters  of  love  and  confidence  which  she  and  others 
received  for  some  of  these  Fathers  were  rare  specimens.  Some 
teemed  with  amorous  quotations  from  the  pens  of  Byron,  Shelley, 
and  others,  and  were  sanctified  by  the  touching  whispers  of  the  Old 
Testament,  particularly  the  gushing  Song  of  Solomon. 

This  "B.  C."  had  a  trunk  filled  with  such  epistles,  rich  orna- 
ments, and  valuable  trinklets  which  she  had  received  while  so 
highly  esteemed  as  a  member  of  this  organization. 

This  woman  was,  like  many  others  of  the  "B.  C.'s,"  full  of  pas- 
sion, enthusiastic,  intensely  emotional,  having  in  her  nature  power- 
ful elements  of  the  romantic,  sentimental,  and  visionary.  Her  feel- 
ings overruled  reason,  and  "she  loved  not  wisely,  but  too  well." 

"Her  constitution  was  wrecked  by  indulgence.  She  grew  ill. 
The  clammy  touch  and  chill  of  death  crept  towards  her.  In  this 
condition,  with  terrible  uninterrupted  pain  of  remorse  gnawing  at 
her  heart-strings,  the  accumulated  guilt  of  years  resting  like  a 
heavy  weight  upon  her  conscience,  she  thought  of  her  husband  and 
children,  whom  she  loved  and  honored  before  she  gave  herself  to 
the  Papal  Church,  and  whom  she  had  neglected  and  disgraced 
secretly.  She  grew  to  hate  Rome,  to  despise  the  priesthood,  and 
resolved  to  expose  'the  substitution  of  marriage'  and  the  Church 
that  upheld  it  and  accomplished  her  ruin.  The  letters,  badges, 
books,  etc.,  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  trusted  physician,  and 
an  exposure  was  resolved  upon.  She  left  the  city  with  her  family, 
and  sought  another  home.  In  speaking  of  the  enormities,  she  has 
no  mercy  for  the  system,  and  its  principal  leaders,  who  have  drawn 
so  many  of  their  subjects  into  such  abnormal,  unnatural,  and 
dangerous  conditions  by  their  false  teachings  and  baneful  dealings. 
STie  warns  Protestants  against  the  wiles  of  Rome  spread  for  them 
in  convent  schools  and  elsewhere. 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  129 

HER  INFAMIES 

and  that  of  others  surpass  belief.  She  confesses  to  have      *      *      * 

Another  lady,  a  convent  from  Protestantism,  was  induced  to 
become  a  'B.  C.,'  and 

"This  indulgence  brought  severe  prostration  and  sickness  upon 
her;  and  death  finally  put  an  end  to  all  her  sufferings,  and  removed 
her  from  her  devoted  family,  who  never  mistrusted  her  virtue." 

"Another  lady  who  had  always  been  a  Papist,  and  whose  hus- 
band is  yet  a  subject  of  the  Papacy, 

She  suffered  much  in  trying  *  *  *  i^u^  \yy  good  nursing 
and  medical  treatment  partially  recovered  her  health.  She  aband- 
oned the  society,  and  persuaded  her  husband  to  leave  the  State." 

"One  relates  that  she  was  afraid  to  keep  a  lounge  or  sette  or 
sofa  in  her  room,  lest  one  of  these  strong,  burly,  passionate  Fathers 
might  call  when  somewhat  intoxicated,  and  foix-e  her  to  comply 
with  his  desires.  So  great  was  her  fear,  that  she  took  the  keys  out 
of  the  doors,  when  two  or  more  of  these  fathers  called  together, 
and  kept  the  doors  open,  pretending  to  be  engaged  in  some  import- 
ant work." 

"Two  married   ladies,   sisters,   were  initiated,  and      *      *      * 

So  we  might  go  on  page  after  page.  Is  it  not  enough?  Does 
this  not  teach  us  that  Romanism  is  the  mystery  of  iniquity?  We 
know  that  Romanists  do  not  believe  in  a  change  of  heart.  The 
natural  man,  full  of  passion,  seems  to  have  been  set  on  fire  of  hell. 

A  Romanist  is  described  in  these  words: 

"The  works  of  the  flesh  are  these:  Adultery,  fomication, 
uncleanness,  lasciviousness,  idolatry,  witchcraft,  hatred,  variance, 
emulations,  wTath,  strife,  seditions,  heresies,  envyings,  murders, 
drunkenness,  revellings,  and  such  like;  of  the  which  I  tell  you 
before,  as  I  have  told  you  in  time  past,  that  they  which  do  such 
things  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God." 

"Marriage  is  honorable  in  all,  and  the  bed  undefiled;  but  whore- 
mongers and  adulterers  God  will  judge."  (Heb.  xiii.  4.)  "Know 
ye  not,  that  the  unrighteous  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God? 
Be  not  deceived:  neither  fornicators,  nor  idolaters,  nor  adulterers, 
nor  effeminate,  nor  abusers  of  themselves  with  mankind,  nor 
thieves,  nor  covetous,  nor  drunkards,  nor  revilers,  nor  extortioners 
shall  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God."  (1  Cor.  vi.  9,  10.)  This  proves 
that  Roman  Catholic  priests,  as  a  rule,  are  in  danger,  not  of  pur- 
gatory, for  there  is  no  such  place,  but  of  an  eternal  hell.  What 
Christ  said  to  Nicodemus,  he  says  to  them:  "Ye  must  be  born 
again."     The  life  of  God  in  the  soul  changes  the  nature,  quenches 


130         POPERY  SHOAVX  UP  TO  AMEBIC AX^S. 

the  glow  of  passion,  and  compels  the  individuals  to  walk  in  har- 
mony with  the  teachings  of  the  word  of  God.  Hence,  where  the 
word  of  God  rules,  there  is  virtue.  The  home  is  respected.  But 
where  it  is  banished  from  the  mind  and  heart,  there  all  kinds  of 
wickedness  abound. 

Chapter  eight  tells  of  abortions  and  cruelties  which  result  from 
these  criminal  marriages,  which  sicken  and  sadden  the  heart. 
Roman  Catholic  priests  become  skilled  in  the  medicines  to  be  used, 
and,  when  these  fail,  in  the  use  of  the  forceps,  which  kills  the  child, 
while  the  priestly  consolation  offered  to  the  mother  is,  that  the 
infant  has  received  a  baptism  of  blood,  and  is  therefore  happy  in 
heaven.  Others  born  are  provided  for  in  foundling  asylums,  orphan- 
ages, or  other  places  of  refuge,  with  which  Rome  abounds  because 
in  such  institutions  priests  can  be  screened  from  infamy.  Roman- 
ism deserves  to  be  studied  not  only  in  its  history,  but  in  its  pur- 
pose and  plan  as  revealed  in  its  daily  life.  A  Roman  Catholic  starts 
wrong,  goes  wrong,  keeps  wrong,  dies  deceived,  and  goes  down  to 
pitiless  wrath  without  God  and  without  hope. 

A  lady  acquainted  with  the  infamies  of  the  priests  rebuked  some 
of  them  for  their  profligate  doings,  and  asked  them  how  they  could 
say  mass  while  leading  such  criminal  lives.  They  laughed  at  her, 
and  said,  "What  is  the  confessional  for,  if  we  cannot  get  absolution 
as  well  as  other  men?" 

"Many  of  the  'B.  C.'s,'  having  been  demoralized  by  the  clergy, 
become  dissipated,  and  are  often  sent  to  places  of  reform  and  pun- 
ishment. They  know  if  they  were  to  speak  out  as  they  ought  con- 
cerning the  Fathers,  they  would  be  denounced  by  their  own  people, 
and  by  the  clergy,  and  considered  insane  or  worse.  The  fear  of 
persecution  and  of  death  seals  their  lips,  though  their  wrongs  burn 
like  fire." 


POPERY  SHOW^  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  131 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Horrible  Fate  of  Some  of  Those  Selected  to  be  "Blessed  Creatures;" 
Wickedness  of  Priests  in  Nunneries  and  Convents;  Testimony  of 
Henrietta  Caracciolo. 

SPECIAL    CASES. 

AMONG  the  special  cases  mentioned  is  that  of  a  beautiful  girl, 
seduced  by  priestly  cunning  and  Church  influence,  who  became 
a  "B.  C."  Her  beauty  and  educational  accomplishments  made 
her  exceedingly  attractive  to  a  large  number  of  the  fathers,  *  *  * 
had  been  sick  several  times,  through  the  brutality  of  these  men,  she 
became  so  disgusted  with  the  society  and  its  horrid  crimes,  that 
she  finally  complained  to  some  of  the  members,  who,  of  course, 
reported  her  murmurs  to  the  leading  pastor.  He  paid  a  little 
attention  to  these  reports,  and  soon  asked  the  young  lady:  *  *  * 
This  she  refused,  when  he  coolly  told  her  that  she  knew  the 
terms.     Then  came 

THE  INQUISITORIAL  METHOD 

"She  was  seized  by  the  priests,  carried  up  to  the  garret,  bound 
with  a  strong  rope  round  the  wrists  to  a  post,  and,  fearing  that  she 
might  escape,  they  procured  a  chain,  and  fastened  her  to  a  large 
beam,  and  thus  left  her  to  her  own  reflections,  thinking  that  she 
would  repent  and  submit.  But  in  this  they  were  disappointed,  for 
they  found  they  had  to  deal  with  a  spirit  as  invincible  for  the  right 
as  they  were  for  the  wrong." 

"They  brought  her  barely  enough  bread  and  water  to  keep  her 
alive,  had  she  partaken  of  the  miserable  allowance;  but  she,  the 
once  loved  and  petted  idol,  neither  ate  nor  drank,  and  constantly 
reiterated  her  determination  to  expose  and  denounce  the  whole 
crowd;  until  finally  the  over-burdened  mind  gave  way,  and  she 
became  sick  and  crazed  in  that  temporary  prison." 

"In  her  fury  and  insanity  she  tore  her  long  and  beautiful  hair 
out  of  her  head,  and  cursed  it  as  being  one  of  the  beauties  admired 
by  the  Fathers.  She  also  tore  the  clothing  from  her  body  into 
shreds,  and  sat  there  raving,  cursing,  crying,  praying,  while  the 
fiends,  Fathers  and  'B.  C.'s'  invited  a  few  of  their  associates  who 
were  a  little  wavering  or  fault-finding,  to  witness  the  sufferings 
and  punishment  of  that  poor  girl,  as  a  specimen  of  what  they  might 


132         POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

expect,  should  they  venture  to  threaten,  leave,  or  speak  against  the 
confraternity;  and,  what  is  truly  surprising,  not  one  of  these  women 
either  by  look  or  word  expressed  the  slightest  pity  of  commisera- 
tion for  the  poor  victim  before  them.  On  the  contrary,  some  said, 
'Oh,  it  is  good  enough  for  her,  for  talking  as  she  did,  and  refusing 
to  obey  the  blessed  Father!  It  serves  her  right.'  There  is  no  tell- 
ing how  vice,  when  presented  in  the  garb  of  religion,  may  harden 
and  destroy  every  fibre  of  human  sympathy  or  Christian  charity  in 
the  hearts  of  men  and  women.  For  this  reason  the  cruelty  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  has  brought  mourning  and  ruin  to  mil- 
lions. This  unfortunate  girl  lingered  but  a  few  days,  when  death 
released  the  tried  and  worn-out  spirit.     Then  the  scene  changes. 

"In  a  dimly  lighted  chapel,  with  the  smoke  and  aroma  of  incense 
floating"  through  the  air,  the  altar  draped  in  mourning  lies  the 
heart-broken,  abused  girl,  all  unconscious  of  the  mock  prayers  and 
empty  ceremonies  performed  seemingly  for  her  benefit,  but  in 
reality  to  show  that  nofhing  is  wrong,  that  all  is  well,  all  is  proper, 
all  is  religion,  all  is  in  honor  of  the  dead  and  living.  There  are  no 
relatives  present:  no  fond  mother,  whose  keen,  loving  eyes  might 
have  discovered  something  wrong  in  the  appearance  of  her  child; 
no  proud  father  to  mourn  over  the  object  his  whole  heart  was 
wrapped  up  in;  no  brother  or  sister  to  mingle  tears  of  love.  All  is 
strange  mockery  and  deception." 

A  certain  priest,  who  knew  the  particulars  of  these  and  many 
other  cases,  as  well  as  the  criminal  conduct  of  this  bishop  with  two 
other  nuns,  has  had  a  very  narrow  escape  from  death  by  poisoning. 
Three  times  within  two  years  have  these  attempts  been  made. 

"One  priest  died  from  a  loathsome  disease,  caused  by  his  exces- 
sive indulgence  with  the  'B.  C.'s'  and  others.  When  on  his  death- 
bed, he  declared  to  some  of  the  members,  that  he  belivd  his  soul 
would  certainly  be  lost,  not  only  for  the  life  of  impurity  and  intem- 
perance which  he  had  lived,  but  for  continuing  to  teach  people  what 
he  knew  was  wrong.  He  said  he  was  sorry  that  he  had  ever  heard 
of  that  Church  which  was  his  final  ruin.  He  had  been  a  Protestant 
minister  before  entering  the  priesthood,  and  gave  as  his  dying  con- 
viction, that  ministers  who  become  priests  are,  as  a  rule,  among 
the  most  immoral,  bigoted,  dangerous  men  of  that  Church;  they 
leave  Protestantism  without  fear  of  persecution,  but  they  have 
neither  the  conscience  nor  courage  to  abandon  Papalism,  which 
they  know  to  be  false.  He  died  in  dreadful  agony  of  mind,  request- 
ing two  of  his  consecrated  mistresses  to  leave  the  society  and  have 
it  destroyed,  if  at  all  possible.  Another  priest  had  no  less  than 
twenty-four  of  these  women,  some  of  them  nuns.     Though  a  profli- 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.         133 

gate  and  intemperate  man,  he  still  continues  in  charge  of  a  large 
parish,  and  drives  occasionally,  in  grand  style,  past  the  houses  of 
some  of  the  'B.  C.'s,'  who,  with  their  husbands,  bow  to  him  with  all 
the  reverence  due  a  saint.  One  of  the  sisters  teaching  in  the  parish 
school  has  been  a  favorite  for  more  than  five  years,  and  has  been 
obliged  three  times  to  retire  from  duty  and  public  view  while  being 
freed  from      *      *      * 

"This  priest  fairly  steams  with  liquor,  hut  is  allowed  to  continue 
as  pastor,  as  he  gives  money  in  abundance  to  the  bishop,  and  is  a 
violent  upholder  of  the  Church  in  all  its  demands.  ' 

Is  there  any  thing  about  this  statement  which  makes  it  difficult 
to  give  credence  to  it?  Does  it  not  look  natural  that  there  should 
be  some  such  invenion  as  a  "substitution  for  marriage"  with  the 
priests?  The  press  teems  with  reports  of  their  scandals;  but  little 
is  made  of  them,  because  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  is  regarded 
rather  as  a  sewer  in  which  to  drain  off  the  scandals  and  loathsome 
deeds  of  society,  than  as  a  repr-esentative  of  the  Christ  who  went 
about  doing  good.  The  time  has  come  to  cut  loose  from  this  sink 
of  corruption,  turn  on  it  the  eye  of  public  investigation,  and  compel 
it  by  strenuous  laws  to  behave,  or  suffer  the  consequences. 

PRIESTS  IN  NUNNERIES  AND  CONVENTS. 

Priests  work  in  darkness.  They  prefer  darkness  to  light, 
because  their  deeds  are  evil.  They  are  not  the  innocents  at  home 
or  abroad,  that  many  seem  to  suppose.  If  God  writes  a  legible 
hand  in  tracing  the  character  of  men  by  their  looks  and  appear- 
ance, the  Roman  Catholic  priests  show  by  their  own  downcast  look, 
their  lack  of  frankness,  their  unwillingness  to  look  you  in  the  eye, 
the  absence  of  cordiality  in  their  greeting,  their  separation  and 
remove  from  men  even  while  they  move  among  them,  that,  though 
with  us,  they  are  not  of  us.  A  tie  unseen,  but  not  unknown,  binds 
them  to  the  man  in  the  Vatican.  They  are  in  America,  and  yet 
utterly  un-American.  A  foreign  and  an  oath-bound  despotism  claims 
them,  holds  them,  and  runs  them. 

If  there  is  any  place  connected  with  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
that  people  suppose  is  removed  from  sin  and  strife,  from  impurity, 
from  worldliness,  from  the  gratification  of  the  flesh,  it  is  the  nun- 
nery, convent,  or  monastery.  The  facts  prove  that  if  there  is  any 
place  which  is  next  to  hell,  in  more  ways  than  can  be  described  in 
language,  it  is  found  in  the  convent,  monastery,  or  nunnery.  These 
are  words — empty  words  if  usustained  by  facts.  Let  facts  weigh 
them.     If  nunneries,  convents,  and  monasteries  are  a  blessing,  the 


134         POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICAXS. 

people  of  Italy  ought  to  know  it.  If  they  are  pronounced  a  curse 
by  the  people  of  Italy,  their  verdict  ought  to  pass  current  in  other 
lands.  They  have  pronounced  them  a  nuisance,  and  barrier  to 
progress.  Nothing  can  be  more  foolish  than  the  respect  shown 
these  nuns  and  sisters  with  their  white  bonnets  and  black  cloaks, 
crowding  our  street  cars,  and  filling  great  overgrown  establishments 
in  all  our  cities.  They  are  whited  sepulchers,  beautiful  in  appear- 
ance, but  within — let  others  describe  them. 

The  Italy  of  the  monks  and  popes  has  been  made  by  them  the 
habitation  of  devils,  and  the  hold  of  every  foul  spirit,  and  a  cage 
of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird.  Beautiful  for  situation,  embrac- 
ing one  hundred  thousand  square  miles,  being  in  size  about  equal  to 
New  England  and  New  York,  if  her  people  were  Christianized  she 
would  be  the  glory  of  Europe.  Alas!  sin  has  reigned  there.  Every 
prospect  pleases,  and  only  man  is  vile.  Rome,  with  its  wolfish 
progenitor  which  suckled  Romulus  and  Remus,  the  rape  of  the 
Sabine  women  who  came  at  her  invitation,  were  captured  and  held 
as  captives  for  the  gratification  of  lust,  are  but  prophecies  of  the 
story  which  blackens  the  page  of  history,  and  when  read  in  the  sun- 
light of  truth  offends  the  world. 

Whoever  has  gazed  upon  the  hills  and  vales  of  Italy  covered 
with  villas  and  vineyards,  her  plains  fruitful  and  cultured,  her  pala- 
ces attesting  to  the  wealth,  the  genius,  and  the  taste  of  men,  obtains 
a  conception  of  what  Italy  might  have  been,  had  not  Romanism, 
which  is  baptized  Paganism,  taken  out  of  her  that  healthful  life  that 
glorifies  our  own  free  land,  and  filled  her  with  all  unrighteousness 
and  wickedness  and  envy  and  murder.  Assassination  and  suicide 
were  the  portion  of  her  rulers,  while  the  people  were  left  to  be  the 
prey  to  cruelty  and  robbery.  In  the  past,  on  almost  every  delight- 
ful eminence  was  a  monastery  or  a  convent  perched  like  a  bird  of 
prey,  and  casting  shadows  dread  and  drear  over  what  otherwise 
■would  be  transcendently  beautiful.  Monks  with  their  coarse  habits, 
nuns  with  their  cloaks  and  veils,  told  of  everything  but  the  free 
spirit  of  the  gospel  of  love.  From  dawn  to  dark  they  went,  until 
Louis  Napoleon  was  compelled  to  withdraw  the  support  that  upheld 
the  hand  which  held  the  crosier.  As  Romanism  withdrew,  freedom 
advanced.  Take  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  out  of  a  community, 
and  you  subtract  its  power,  and  leave  a  residue  of  men  without  the 
life  of  God.  Add  this  faith  to  a  people,  and  you  panoply  them  with 
strength,  soul  them  with  a  great  purpose,  give  them  up  to  the  con- 
trol of  God,  who  causes  them  to  will  and  to  do  according  to  a  pur- 
pose which  harmonizes  with  all  that  is  noblest  and  best  for  the 
immortal    nature.      In    this    land    it    is    difficult    to    understand    it. 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  A:\IERICANS.         135 

Here  there  is  freedom  and  recklessness.  The  American  people  are 
afraid  of  neither  Pope  nor  Devil.  Perhaps  they  ought  to  apprehend, 
because  of  their  unconcern,  danger  from  both.  It  is  very  difficult 
to  believe  that  the  Romanism  we  see  is  like  the  Romanism  of  which 
we  read.  No  martyr's  fire  has  shed  its  glare  across  our  path.  It 
was  not  so  in  Italy.  Persecution  the  worst,  cruelty  the  most  impla- 
cable and  fiendish,  has  characterized  the  land  and  the  city  nearest 
to,  and  most  directly  under  the  control  of,  the  Pope.  Justice  fell 
in  the  streets.  ;\Ien  who  loved  Christ  in  spirit  and  in  truth  had 
been  banished  the  realm.  Some  had  gone  direct  to  God,  through 
the  open  door  of  a  martyr's  death;  others  had  journeyed  by  slower 
stages,  through  exile  and  through  sorrows,  to  the  rest  prepared  for 
those  who  love  God. 

Death  characterizes  the  Italy  of  the  monks  and  nuns.  There  are 
processions,  feast-days,  saint-days,  holy  days,  without  number.  "Is 
not  this  a  sign  of  faith?"  asks  the  unthinking  inquirer.  Whatever 
takes  hold  of  God  is  faith,  whatever  rejects  him  is  unbelief.  The 
Italians  and  Romanists  in  general  are  taught  to  'reverence  the 
crucifix,  to  pray  to  the  Virgin  and  to  the  saints,  to  trust  in  relics; 
but  between  them  and  Jesus  Christ,  the  one  Mediator  between  God 
and  man,  is  the  Virgin  i\Iary,  the  rosary,  the  blind  formula,  so  full 
of  doubt  and  despair.     Christ's  words — 

"HAVE  FAITH   IN  GOD," 

which  sheared  through  the  night  of  Jewish  tradition  and  Pagan 
superstition,  are  essential  to  the  life  of  Italy. 

Henrietta  Caracciolo,  linked  by  birth  to  one  of  the  noble  fami- 
lies of  Italy,  driven  to  a  convent  by  a  mother's  oppression,  has 
opened  the  doors  of  the  cloisters,  and  bade  us  look  with  our  own 
eyes  into  them.  Her  womanly  delicacy  has  partly  concealed  the 
hideousness  which  she  has  not  nakedly  disclosed;  still  no  reader  of 
"The  Mysteries  of  the  Neopolitan  Convents,"  of  ordinary  penetra- 
tion, can  fail  to  see  the  awful  sufferings  of  which  these  places  are 
the  abodes,  and  the  shameful  wickedness  enacted  within,  their  walls. 
In  the  convent  there  is  no  moral  light  and  air;  and  to  expect  love 
to  blossom  in  a  convent  is  like  expecting  color  in  the  darkness,  or 
life  in  a  sepulchre.  The  heart,  finding  nothing  without,  turns  in 
upon  itself,  and  becomes  the  seat  of  foul  desires,  or  of  evil  passions. 
Paul  described  the  inhabitants  of  this  pandemonium  in  these  words: 
"Without  natural  affections,  implacable,  unmerciful."  Instead  of 
a  paradise  of  purity,  as  the  uninitiated  dream,  it  is  filled  with  people 
who   hiss   and   sting   like   serpents,   and   torment   one   another   like 


136         POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

furies.  Their  vow,  which  makes  their  suffering  perpetual,  leaves 
them  with  no  hope  of  escape,  except  in  the  grave.  "Never  was  there 
on  earth  slavery  more  foul  and  bitter,  and  never  was  there  a  decree 
more  humane  and  merciful  than  that  by  which  Italy  declared  that 
this  bondage  should  no  longer  disgrace  its  soil,  or  oppress  its 
children."  (John  Dowling,  D.  D.,  in  the  Introduction  to  Neapolitan 
Convents,  p.    7. ) 

Attempts  had  been  made  to  reform  the  abuse.  At  the  close  of 
the  last  century,  Scipio  di  Ricci,  an  Italian  Roman  Catholic  bishop, 
at  the  command  of  Leopold,  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany,  tried  to  root 
out  these  terrible  abominations.  Among  the  disclosures  is  this  let- 
ter from  the  aged  Flavia  Pernaccini,  prioress  of  the  Convent  of 
Catherine  of  Pistoit.  She  says,  "The  priests  are  the  husbands  of  the 
nuns,  and  the  lay  brothers  of  the  lay  sisters.  .  .  .  Everywhere 
it  is  the  same;  everywhere  the  same  abuses  prevail."  (^lysteries 
of  Neapolitan  Convents,  p.  19.) 

Garibaldi,  born  and  bred  amid  these  scenes,  knew  whereof  he 
affirmed  when  he  said,  "In  the  midst  of  Italy,  at  its  very  heart,  there 
is  a  cancer  called  Popery — an  imposture  called  Popery.  We  have 
a  formidable  enemy;  the  more  formidable  because  it  exists  among 
the  ignorant  classes,  where  it  rules  by  falsehood,  because  it  is 
sacrilegiously  covered  with  the  cloak  of  religion.  Its  smile  is  the 
smile  of  Satan.  This  enemy  is  the  Popish  priests."  (The  same, 
p.  21.) 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  A:\rEKICAXS.  137 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Henrietta  Caracciolo's  Descriptions  of  the  Convent  in  Naples;  Her 
Experiences;  Her  Escape;  tlie  Number  of  Children  Borne  by 
Nuns. 

THE  suppression  of  monasteries  and  nunneries  began  in  1864, 
when  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  led  by  Count  Cavour,  enacted, 
"that  the  religious  orders  should  be  no  longer  recognized 
by  the  State;  that  their  houses  should  be  suppressed  and  their  goods 
placed  under  an  ecclesiastical  board;  and  that  the  members  of  the 
suppressed  corporations  should  acquire  their  civil  and  political 
rights  from  the  date  of  the  publication  of  this  law."  (The  same, 
p.  21.)  The  number  of  these  institutions  existing  in  Italy  at  the 
time  of  the  suppression  surpasses  belief,  and  should  startle  Ameri- 
cans who  are  fostering  the  curse.  The  Old  World  is  spewing  them 
out  as  useless  and  corrupt:  shall  the  New  World  give  them  wel- 
come? The  Italian  States  compel  the  lazy  orders  to  work  or  starve; 
the  United  States  permit  them  to  beg  from  door  to  door,  build  their 
colossal  establishments  that  they  may  impoverish  us.  Taxation  of 
Church  property  is  a  duty  which  points  to  the  safety  of  the  State. 
The  number  of  convents  actually  suppressed  in  Italy  was  2,382. 
Of  these  1,506  were  male  convents,  or  monasteries,  and  876  were 
female  convents,  or  nunneries. 

Th  value  of  property  possessed  by  them  was  about  eight  mil- 
lions of  dollars.  The  number  of  useless  drones  who  inhabited  these 
swarming  hives  was  15,494  monks  and  18,198  nuns,  4,468  lay 
brothers  and  7,671  lay  sisters,  besides  13,441  monks  of  the  mendi- 
cant orders,  and  3,976  lay  brothers;  making  a  total  of  60,239  per- 
sons. In  Naples  alone,  eleven  convents  of  monks  and  six  of  nuns 
were  suppressed  during  the  first  half  of  1865.  Thus  did  Italy  seek 
to  get  rid  of  an  incubus  that  cursed  and  crushed  her.  (Mysteries 
of  Neapolitan  Convents,  p.  22.)  Would  that  Americans  could  real- 
ize the  peril  of  youth  who  are  being  enticed  to  enter  these  pitfalls  of 
ruin!  Politicians  would  find  it  not  for  their  advantage  to  sell  them- 
selves to  Rome,  and  buy  Catholic  votes  with  subsidies  draw^n  from 
the  pockets  of  Protestant  tax-payers  to  these  un-American  popish 
institutions. 

THE  INSIDE  OF  A  BENEDICTINE  CONVENT, 

of  Naples,   called   San   Gregorio   Armeno,   is   revealed.      In   it   were 
fifty-eight    nuns,    belonging    to    the    most    conspicuous    families    of 


138         POPERY  SHOAVX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

Naples.  "From  the  selfishness  of  unnatural  parents  and  brothers, 
they  had  been  destined,  while  yet  in  their  swaddling  clothes  to 
bring  their  minds,  hearts  and  personal  charms  in  this  solitude,  and 
to  immolate,  less  to  religion  than  to  the  avarice  of  relatives,  all 
their  affections,  even  to  filial  love;  and  to  make  a  solemn  and  invio- 
lable renunciation  of  the  duties  and  the  rights  which  bind  the  indi- 
vidual to  the  family,  to  the  nation,  and  to  humanity,  without  the 
least  regard  to  the  social  inclinations,  to  the  ingenous  temper,  or  to 
the  fickleness  of  their  hereditary  characters.''  Educated  with  such 
motives;  taught  to  avoid  every  thing  that  would  by  any  chance 
expand  the  sphere  of  their  ideas,  or  discipline  or  fertilize  their 
minds,  or  socialize  their  habits;  informed  on  no  other  subjects  in 
the  world  than  of  legends,  miracles,  visions,  and  the  various  phan- 
tasmagoria of  ascetics,  drawn  from  the  reading  of  the  musty  old 
books  which  the  "Index  Expurgatorium"  has  conceded  for  family 
reading;  never  by  any  chance  permitted,  either  in  or  out  of  the 
house,  to  come  in  contact  with  any  other  than  the  members  of  their 
own  families,  or  their  own  confessors — the  nuns  are  as  much  want- 
ing in  their  qualities  which  distinguish  the  well-born  woman,  as 
they  are  destitute  of  those  which,  in  other  more  civilized  society, 
render  the  religious  character  so  estimable.  (^Mysteries  of  Neapoli- 
tan Convents,  p.  139.) 

THE   PRESENT   NUNNERY   A   GROVvTH. 

"At  the  outset  the  vows  were  temporary.  The  oblates  (lay  sis- 
ters) renewed  their  vows  each  year.  At  the  end  of  the  year  they 
could  select  any  other  condition.  They  maintained  themselves  at 
their  own  expense  until  they  took  their  veil  after  which  the  estab- 
lishments provided  for  them.  At  this  time  they  enjoyed  the  repu- 
tation of  being  virtuous.  But  under  the  reign  of  Ferdinand  the 
Catholic,  and  of  Charles  V.,  a  marked  change  came  over  the  rela- 
tions which  the  nuns  maintained  with  the  people  of  the  world. 

It  was  then  that  the  most  potent,  those  who  were  invested 
with  distinctions  and  resplendent  with  the  brilliabcy  of  courts, 
were  permitted  to  seduce  these  pious  women."     (The  same,  p.  i42.) 

Then  came  the  Aulic  Council.  The  Archbishop  of  Naples  and 
the  Nuncio  had  their  own  prisons,  in  which  they  kept  those  they 
sought.  *  *  *  Every  church,  convent,  and  feudal  palace 
enjoyed  the  privilege  of  a  sanctuary,  and  retained  in  its  pay  the 
most  notorious  bravos.  Then  came  the  Sicilian  Vespers  and  the 
dark  deeds.  ^Morality  was  banished.  Intrigue,  deception,  and  con- 
spiracies,   the    blackest   and    the    worst,    were    hatched.      A    father, 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.         139 

inhuman,  capricious,  and  avaricious,  threw  his  daughter  whose  sup- 
port caused  him  embarrassment,  or  the  wife  whose  fidelity  was  sus- 
pected, into  a  convent.  In  those  days  the  condition  of  women  was 
worse  than  in  Turkey.  "The  mere  shadow  of  suspicion;  a  calum- 
nious accusation;  a  hallucination  begot  by  jealousy;  the  false  depo- 
sition of  a  rejected  lover — sufficed  to  assemble,  in  all  haste,  a  family 
council,  under  the  same  mysterious  circumstances  in  which  the 
Spanish  Inquisition  was  wont  to  envelop  its  tribunal,  when  it  would 
thunder  against  the  accused  that  sentence  which,  according  to  the 
prejudices  of  the  period,  could  alone  wipe  off  the  stain  from  the 
family  escutcheon  in  the  public  eye.  Nor,  to  wash  away  the  stain, 
often  imaginary,  did  they  know,  or  seek  to  know,  any  other  means 
than  through  blood.  Conformably  to  this  barbarous  code,  the 
woman,  if  living  in  the  house,  was  stabbed  or  strangled  in  her  own 
bed,  if  marriageable;  or  she  was  condemned  to  the  civil  death  of 
convent  seclusion."      (Mysteries  of  Neapolitan  Convents,  p.  144.) 

"THE  CONFESSIONAL 

in  the  convent  was  constructed  like  small  closets,  carefully  cur- 
tained on  all  sides,  and  furnished  with  a  stool  on  which  the  peni- 
tent could  sit  at  her  ease.  'Why  the  stool?'  asked  Miss  Caracciolo. 
'Because  it  is  not  possible  for  a  nun  to  remain  two  or  three  hours 
on  her  knees.'  'Why  are  two  or  three  hours  required  to  tell  the 
confessor  that  you  have  not  wished  to  commit  a  sin  during  the  two 
or  three  days  of  cloister  life?'  'It  is  the  custom  of  the  world  to 
make  a  confession  of  only  a  few  moments;  but  we  not  only  ack- 
nowledge our  little  sins,  but  we  confide,  and  whom  we  have  chosen 
for  that  purpose,  should  direct  in  us  all  the  duties  of  our  daily  life. 
To  him  we  confide  our  thoughts  and  business  and  purposes — he 
being  our  sole  friend,  and  our  only  mediator  between  heaven,  the 
world,  and  the  cloister,  which  a  nun  is  permitted  to  have.  While 
separated  from  the  world,  we  find,  in  the  intimacy  which  subsists 
between  us,  a  personification  of  the  universe  in  compensation  for 
our  solitude.  In  short,  after  God,  the  confessor  is  all  in  all  for 
us.'  "      (^Mysteries  of  Neapolitan  Convents,  p.  1.50.) 

"The  next  day  he  told  me  that  in  the  convent  it  was  imperative 
to  take  the  communion  every  day,  and  that  it  required  nearly  the 
whole  day.  I  begged  a  release.  Later  in  the  day  the  priest,  about 
fifty,  very  corpulent,  with  a  rubicund  face  and  a  type  of  physi- 
ognomy as  vulgar  as  it  was  repulsive,  put  the  w^afer  on  my  tongue, 
and  caressed  my  chin.  On  opening  my  eyes  suddenly,  I  found  the 
priest  gazing  rudely  upon  me,  with  a  sensual  smile  upon  his  face." 


UO         POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMEEICAXS. 

(The  same,  p.  151.)  These  overtures  meant  much.  "It  occurred 
to  me  to  place  myself  in  a  contiguous  apartment,  where  I  could 
observe  if  this  libertine  priest  was  accustomed  to  take  similar  liber- 
ties with  the  nuns.  I  did  so,  and  was  fully  convinced  that  the  old 
only  left  him  without  being  caressed.  All  the  others  allowed  him 
to  do  with  them  as  he  pleased;  and  even  in  taking  leave  of  him  did 
so  with  the  utmost  reverence." 

THIS  OPENED  THE  EYES  OF  MISS  CARACCIOLO, 

and  she  determined  never  to  take  the  veil.  Efforts  were  made  to 
change  her  mind.  A  young  priest  was  given  her  as  a  confessor. 
He  questioned  her  as  to  her  loves  and  of  her  history.  She  con- 
fessed to  having  been  forsaken.  Then  came  the  priest  to  her  side. 
He  said,  "The  world  has  abandoned  you.  The  heavenly  Spouse 
opens  the  doors  of  His  house  to  you,  offers  to  embrace  you  in  His 
arms  with  tenderness,  and  anxiously  awaits  you,  to  make  you  for- 
get, in  the  sublime  comforts  of  His  love,  the  discord  of  men. 
Remember,  the  priest  is  the  representative  of  Christ,"  and  pro- 
posed to  embrace  her  with  his  arms.  She  scorned  and  upbraided 
him.  Some  nuns  hate,  while  others  love.  He  continued  a  long 
time,  playing  upon  the  same  pipe,  which  she  thought  tedious  and 
stupid.  Finally  she  interrupted  him  by  saying,  "Is  it,  or  is  it  not 
true  that  man  was  created  for  humanity  r  If,  as  you  say,  the  family 
of  Christ  be  restricted  to  this  little  community,  why  was  the  Son  of 
God  crucified  for  the  salvation  of  the  whole  human  race?  It  is 
said,  that,  to  be  contented  with  solitude^  it  is  necessary  to  be  either 
God  or  brute.  Now,  I  have  not  arrived  at  the  elevation  of  the 
Diety,  nor  yet  to  the  condition  of  the  brute.  I  love  the  world,  and 
take  pleasure  in  the  society  of  my  friends.  Besides,  I  do  not 
believe  that  you  yourself  have  a  horror  of  human  society;  because, 
if  it  were  so,  you  would,  ere  this,  have  become  a  monk  at  least,  if 
not  an  anchorite." 

THEN   CAME  A   SCENE. 

A  Madalena,  thinking  that  Miss  Caracciolo  had  captured  her 
priest  and  lover,  on  meeting  her  became  livid  in  the  face,  and 
rudely  turned  her  back  upon  her.  Another  came  and  said,  "She 
forced  her  confessor  upon  you,  and  now  she  is  crying  and  desperate 
with  jealousy."  Miss  Caracciolo  dismissed  the  new  canoiiico.  He 
would  not  be  dismissed.  She  begged  him  to  give  his  attention  to 
others.     He  revealed   his  intention  to  dismiss  the  other  nun.     The 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICAXS.         141 

result  was,  that  in  the  afternoon  she  heard  a  great  noise  in  the 
corridor.  On  going  out,  she  found  that  the  Madalena  was  in  the 
centre  of  a  group  of  excited  nuns,  waving  a  letter.  The  noise 
increased;  the  whole  community  assembled.  In  the  confusion  of 
the  revolt,  but  one  single  word  could  be  distinguished,  and  that,  a 
thousand  times  repeated,  was  the  word  "canonico." 

Meanwhile  the  old  abbess,  leaning  upon  the  arm  of  one  of  the 
ediicande,  came  up  to  the  scene  of  the  riot  to  appease  ^Madalena,  and 
promised  her  that  the  canonico  should  no  longer  confess  Miss 
Caracciolo,  and  that  she  herself  would  find  another  confessor  for 
her. 

"Will  you  give  me  your  word  for  that?"  cried  the  infuriated 
iMadalena,  whilst  the  seventy  other  mouths  around  her  remained 
closed  awaiting  in  silence  the  answer.  "Hold  me  pledged,"  replied 
the  abbess. 

"Bravo!  Bravo!"  exclaimed  the  nuns  in  chorus,  while  the  iMada- 
lena  exclaimed,  "It  was  insupportable  for  me  to  see  him  shut  up  in 
the  confessional  with  another."  That  is  a  picture  of  the  best  side 
of  convent  life  in  Italy.  Priests  and  nuns  passed  whole  days  in  each 
others  company,  in  love-making  and  in  lazy  enjoyment.  (iMysteries 
of  Neapolitan  Convents,  p.  161.) 

"Another  nun  had  loved  a  priest  ever  since  he  had  served  in 
the  church  as  an  acolyte.  Arriving  at  the  priesthood,  he  was  made 
sacristan;  but,  his  companions  denouncing  him  for  the  intimacy 
which  subsisted  between  him  and  this  nun,  he  was  forbidden  by  his 
superior  ever  to  pass  through  the  street  in  which  the  convent  was 
situated.  The  nun  remained  faithful,  wrote  him  every  day,  sent 
presents  to  him,  and  managed  to  meet  from  time  to  time  secretly 
in  the  parlatoria.  The  superior  being  finally  changed,  the  nun, 
although  she  now  had  arrived  at  mature  age,  succeeded  in  securing 
him  for  a  confessor."  "She  celebrated  the  event  as  she  would  a 
marriage,  gave  gifts  and  flowers  to  her  patron  saint,  and  built  at 
her  own  expense  a  confessional  where  she  might  have  him  to  her- 
self whenever  they  were  inclined."  (Mysteries  of  Neapolitan  Con- 
vents, p.  16.5.) 

A  letter  sent  by  one  of  "the  spouses  of  Christ"  to  a  priest  was 
dropped  in  the  street.  A  gentleman  picked  it  up,  and  said,  "A  com- 
mon courtesan  would  make  use  of  more  modest  language."  (The 
same,  p.  165.) 

"I  have  received  myself,  from  an  impertinent  monk,  a  letter  in 
which  he  signified  to  me  that  he  had  hardly  seen  me,  when  he 
conceived  the  sweet  hope  of  becoming  my  confessor.  An  exquisite 
of  the  first  water,  a  man  of  scents  and  euphuism,  could  ont  have 


142         POPERY  SHOAYX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

employed  phrases  more  melodramatic,  to  demand  whether  he  might 
hope  or  despair."      (The  same,  p.  169.) 

"  'Fair  daughter,'  said  a  priest  to  me  one  day,  'knowest  thou 
who  God  truly  is?'  'He  is  the  Creator  of  the  universe,'  I  answered 
dryly. 

"  'No,  no  no,  no!  that  is  not  enough,'  he  replied,  laughing  at  my 
ignorance.  'God  is  love,  but  love  in  the  abstract,  which  receives  its 
incarnation  in  the  mutual  affection  of  two  hearts  which  idolize  each 
other;  you  then  must  not  only  love  God  in  His  abstract  existence, 
but  must  also  love  Him  in  His  incarnation;  that  is,  in  the  exclusive 
love  of  a  man  who  adores  you.'  'Then,'  I  replied,  'a  woman  who 
adores  her  own  lover,  would  adore  Divinity  himself.' 

"  'Assuredly,'  reiterated  the  priest,  over  and  over  again,  taking 
courage  from  my  remark,  and  chuckling  at  what  seemed  to  him  to 
be  the  effects  of  his  catechism. 

"  'In  that  case,'  said  I  hastily,  'I  should  select  for  my  lover 
rather  a  man  of  the  world  than  a  priest.' 

"  'God  preserves  you,  my  daughter!  God  preserves  you  from 
that  sin!  To  love  a  man  of  the  world,  a  sinner,  a  wretch,  an  unbe- 
liever, an  infidel!  Why,  you  would  go  immediately  to  hell!  The 
love  of  a  priest  is  a  sacred  love,  while  that  of  the  profane  is  infamy; 
the  faith  of  a  priest  emanates  from  that  granted  to  the  Holy  Church, 
while  that  of  the  profane  is  false — false  as  is  the  vanity  of  the 
century.  The  priest  purifies  his  affection  daily  in  communion  with 
the  Holy  Spirit;  the  man  of  the  world,  if  he  ever  knows  love  at  all, 
sweeps  the  muddy  crossings  of  the  street  with  it  day  and  night.' 
'But  it  is  the  heart  as  well  as  the  conscience  which  prompts  me  to 
fly  from  the  priests,'  I  replied. 

'Well,  if  you  will  not  love  me  because  I  am  your  confeSsor,  I 
will  find  means,  to  assist  you  to  get  ria  of  your  scruples.  We  will 
place  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  before  all  our  affectionate  demon- 
strations; and  thus  our  love  will  be  a  grateful  offering  to  the  Lord, 
and  will  ascend  fragrant  with  perfume  to  heaven,  like  the  smoke 
of  the  incense  of  the  sanctuary.  Say  to  me,  for  example,  I  love  you 
in  Jesus  Christ;  this  night  I  dreamed  of  you  in  Jesus  Christ:  and 
you  will  have  a  tranquil  conscience,  because,  in  doing  this,  you  will 
sanctify  every  transport.'  "  This  is  in  line  with  the  priests'  sub- 
stitution for  marriage. 

"Of  a  very  respectable  monk,  respectable  alike  for  his  age  and 
moral  character,  I  inquired  what  signified  the  prefixing  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  amorous-  apostrophes. 

"  'It  is,'  said  he,  'an  expression  used  by  a  horrible  company, 
unfortunately  only  too  numerous,  which  thus  abusing  the  name  of 


POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  143 

our  Lord,  permits  to  its  members  tlie  most  unbridled  licentious- 
ness.'   '      (IMysteries  of  Neapolitan   Convents,    p.    1711.) 

Thus  it  appears  that  in  Italy  in  the  olden  time  the  priests  had 
a  substitution  for  marriage,  as  they  have  at  this  time  in  our  land. 
And  why  not?  It  is  the  same  tree  there  as  here.  Why  not  bear 
the  same  kind  of  fruit? 

Garibaldi  had  entered  Naples  in  triumph.  While  the  priests  of 
San  Gennaro,  in  order  to  avoid  the  solemnity  of  a  Te  Deum,  and  to 
escape  the  customary  prayers,  "Save  thy  people  and  thy  patrimony, 
O  God,"  (The  same,  p.  482),  detained  Garibaldi,  Henrietta  Carac- 
ciolo  took  off  her  veil  from  her  head,  and  deposited  on  the  altar 
what  had  been  given  her  twenty  years  before.  (Mysteries  of  Nea- 
politan Convents,  p.  4  8  4.)  A  free  woman  she  went  forth  into  a  free 
world,  uncontaminated  by  priests  because  by  God's  help  she  stood 
her  ground  against  them.  Finally  she  met  a  man  to  love  and  to 
be  loved.  They  were  married,  and  she  writes:  "I  found  myself  in 
the  state  in  which  God  placed  woman  at  the  close  of  His  first  week 
of  the  creation.  Why,  fulfilling  the  offices  of  a  good  wife,  of  a  good 
mother,  of  a  good  citizen- — why  may  I  not  aspire  even  to  the  treas- 
ury of  the  Divine  Confession?"      (The  same,  p.  484.) 

She  stepped  out  of  the  convent.  The  curse  remains.  It  is  the 
same  at  this  hour  whenever  they  exist  in  fact  as  in  name.  As  a 
prioress  said,  "The  priests  deceive  the  innocent,  and  even  those  that 
are  more  circumspect;  and  it  would  need  a  miracle  to  converse  with 
them  and  not  fall.  Poor  creatures!  Many  of  them  think  they  are 
leaving  the  world  to  escape  danger,  and  they  only  meet  with  greater 
danger.  Do  not  suppose  this  is  the  case  in  one  convent  alone. 
Everj^vhere  it  is  the  same;  everywhere  the  same  disorders,  every- 
where the  same  abuses,  prevail.  Let  the  superiors  suspect  as  they 
may,  they  do  not  know  even  the  smallest  part  of  the  enormous 
wickedness  that  goes  on  between  the  monks  and  the  nuns."  (The 
same,  Introduction,  p.   i9.) 

"Such  was  the  profligacy  of  priors  and  nuns,  as  Llorenti  informs 
us,  in  the  fifteenth  century^  that  the  Pope,  from  very  shame,  had  to 
take  notice  of  it.  He  had  to  invest  the  Inquisition  with  special 
power  to  take  cognizance  of  the  matter.  The  inquisitors,  in  obedi- 
ence to  orders  from  their  sovereign  Pope,  entered  immediately  upon 
the  discharge  of  their  duties.  They  issued,  through  their  immediate 
superior,  a  general  order  commanding  all  women,  nuns,  and  lay 
sisters,  married  women  and  single  women,  without  regard  to  age, 
station  in  life,  or  any  other  circumstance,  to  appear  before  them, 
and  give  information,  if  any  they  had,  against  all  priests,  Jesuits, 
monks,    priors,    and    confessors."       (Popish    Nunneries,    by    William 


144         POPEEY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

Hogan,  p.  60.)  "The  Pope  got  more  than  he  bargained  for.  Sup- 
posing that  the  licentiousness  of  his  priests  did  not  extend  beyond 
women  of  ill-fame,  he  summoned  all  to  come.  Disobedience  was 
heresy,  and  heresy  was  death.  The  accusers  came,  not  singly,  but 
in  battalions.  The  number  who  made  their  appearance  to  lodge 
information,  in  the  single  city  of  Seville,  Spain,  was  so  great,  that 
the  taking  of  depositions  occupied  twenty  notaries  for  thirty  days. 
The  inquisitors,  worn  out  with  fatigue,  determ.ned  on  taking  a 
recess;  and,  having  done  so,  they  re-assembled,  and  devoted  thirty 
days  more  to  the  same  purpose;  but  the  depositions  continued  to 
increase  so  fast,  that  they  saw  no  use  in  continuing  them,  and  they 
finally  resolved  to  adjourn,  and  quash  the  inquiry.  The  country 
was  found  to  be  one  vast  area  of  pollution.'"  (The  same,  p.  60.) 
This  Church,  so  polluted  and  so  vile,  is  reckoned  by  many  as  one 
of  the  religious  denominations.  These  priests,  and  priests  as 
debased  and  vile,  are  called  in  the  United  States,  by  so-called  Chris- 
tians, "niinisters  of  God!"  The  ignorance  of  the  average  professing 
Christian  in  America  concerning  Romanism,  what  it  was  and  is, 
surprises  those  who  have  studied  the  character  of  Papal  life,  and 
the  blindness  of  the  people  who  ought  to  be  better  informed.  It 
will  not  do  to  say  that  this  belonged  to  a  past  age.  Priests,  nuns, 
and  confessors  are  the  same  now  that  they  were  in  the  fifteenth 
century  all  over  the  world.  Whoever  visits  Paris  will  find  a  lying-in 
haspital  attached  to  every  nunnery.  The  same  is  to  be  seen  in  Mad- 
rid and  the  principal  cities  of  Spain,  in  ]\lexico,  and  in  Dublin,  Ire- 
land. What  is  the  object  of  these  hospitals?  Let  William  Hogan, 
the  ex-priest,  answer. 

"The  object  is  to  provide  for  the  illict  offspring  of  priests  and 
nuns  and  such  other  unmarried  females  as  the  priests  can  seduce 
through  the  confessional.  But,  it  will  be  said,  there  are  no  lying-in 
hospitals  attached  to  nunneries  in  this  country.  True,  there  are 
not:  but  I  say,  of  my  own  knowledge  and  from  my  own  experience 
through  the  confessional,  that  it  would  be  well  if  there  were;  there 
would  be  fewer  abortions,  there  would  be  fewer  infants  strangled 
and  murdered.  It  is  not  generally  known  that  the  crime  of  pro- 
curing abortion — a  crime  which  our  laws  pronounce  to  be  felony- 
is  a  commok  offence  in  Popish  nunneries.  In  Kings  County  Peni- 
tentiary is  a  woman  who  has  been  in  prison  twenty  years  for  infanti- 
cide, and  who  is  condemned  to  stay  there  for  life.  That  which  is  a 
crime  in  the  State  is  a  practice  in  the  convents.  Luther,  In  his 
'Table  Talk,'  says  that  in  his  time  a  pool  was  cleaned  out  in  the 
vicinity  of  a  convent,  and  the  bottom  was  almost  literally  paved 
with  the  bones  of  infants." 


POPEKY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMERICANS.  145 

Any  scoundrel  tired  of  a  woman  can  embrace  the  religious  state, 
enter  a  monastery,  and  be  rid  of  her,  though  he  has  ruined  her 
under  promise  of  marriage.  Statistics  prove  that  in  no  city  is  there 
so  great  a  number  of  children  born  out  of  wedlock  as  in  Rome;  and 
it  is  in  Rome  also  that  the  greatest  number  of  infanticides  take 
place.  This  must  ever  be  the  case  with  a  wealthy  unmarried  priest- 
hood and  a  poor  and  ignorant  population. 

In  Rome  there  are  from  thirty  to  forty  thousand  monks  and 
nuns  condemned  to  the  material  interests  of  the  Vatican,  to  an 
impossible  chastity,  to  violence  against  nature,  for  which  she  avenges 
herself  by  treading  under  her  feet  morality,  and  compelling  families 
and  the  State  to  bear  the  consequences  of  this  condition  of  violence 
in  which  the  Church  has  placed  it.  Humanity  and  morality  are  pay- 
ing the  cost  in  Europe  of  eight  centuries  of  temporal  power,  of  the 
ambition  of  the  pontificate,  and  from  it  come  the  blood-stains  that 
disgrace  the  Eternal  City. 

THE  SLAUGHTER  OF  THE  INNOCENTS 

receives  the  sanction  of  Rome.  "The  modus  operandi  is  this.  The 
infallible  Church  teaches  that  without  baptism  even  infants  cannot 
go  to  heaven.  The  holy  Church,  not  caring  much  how  the  afore- 
said infants  may  come  into  this  world,  but  anxious  that  they  should 
go  out  of  it  according  to  the  ritual  of  the  Church,  insists  that  the 
infant  shall  be  baptized.  That  being  done,  and  its  soul  being  thus 
fitted  for  heaven,  the  mother  abbess  generally  takes  between  her 
holy  fingers  the  nostrils  of  the  infant,  and  in  the  name  of  the  infal- 
lible Church  consigns  it  to  the  care  of  the  Almighty;  and  I  beg  to 
state,  from  my  own  personal  knowledge  through  the  confessional, 
that  the  father  is,  in  nearly  all  cases,  the  individual  who  baptizes 
it.  I  desire  to  assert  nothing  of  a  character  as  frightful  and  dis- 
gusting as  this  on  my  own  authority:  I  could  give  numberless 
instances;   let  this  suffice." 

Llorenti,  in  his  "History  of  the  Inquisition,"  relates  the  follow- 
ing. "There  was  among  the  Carmelite  nuns  of  Lerma  a  mother 
abbess  called  IMother  Aguecla,  who  was  accounted  a  saint.  People 
came  to  her  from  all  the  neighboring  country  to  be  cured  of  their 
respective  diseases.  Her  mode  of  curing  all  diseases  was  this.  She 
had  in  her  possession  a  number  of  small  stones,  of  which  she  said 
she  was  delivered  in  all  the  pains  of  childbirth.  She  was  delivered 
of  them  periodically  for  the  space  of  twenty  years,  according  to  her 
own  statement;  and,  by  the  application  of  these  stones  to  any 
diseased   person,   he   was    forthwith    cured.      Rumor,    however,    got 


146         POPEKY  SHOWX  UP  TO  AMERICANS. 

abroad  that  the  mother  abbess  'was  no  better  than  she  ought  to  be,' 
and  that  in  place  of  bringing  forth  stones,  she  and  the  other  nuns 
of  the  convent  were  bringing  forth  children  for  the  friars  of  the 
Carmelite  order,  who  arrange  all  her  miracles  for  her,  and  enabled 
her  fort  twenty  years  to  impose  upon  the  public  as  the  lady  prioress 
of  a  nunnery  and  fashionable  boarding-school.  Whenever  she  was 
confined  and  delivered  of  a  child,  the  holy  nuns  strangled  it,  and 
burned  it.  All  the  other  nuns  did  likewise,  and  probably  would 
have  continued  to  do  so  through  their  successors  until  this  day,  had 
not  the  niece  of  the  mother  abbess,  in  a  moment  of  anger,  arising 
from  maltreatment,  let  fall  some  observations  which  excited  the 
suspicions  of  the  public  authorities.  The  burying-ground  of  the 
nuns  were  examined;  the  spot  where  the  strangled  infants  were 
buried  was  pointed  out  by  the  niece  of  the  mother  abbess,  and  the 
bodies  found."     (Popish  Nunneries,  by  William  Hogan^  p.  63.) 

It  is  said  that  a  chemical  process  has  been  discovered  by  which 
the  bones,  as  well  as  the  flesh  of  infants,  are  reduced  in  a  little  time 
almost  to  perfect  annihilation.  This  helps  on  the  iniquity.  Maria 
Monk  will  tell  how  this  was  managed  in  Montreal. 

"Virtuous  ladies,"  says  William  Hogan,  "into  whose  hands  this 
statement  will  come,  will  exclaim  on  reading  it,  'This  cannot  be 
true.  If  even  nuns  had  witnessed  such  things,  however  depraved 
they  may  be,  they  would  fly  from  such  scenes;  or,  at  all  events,  no 
nun  who  has  ever  been  once  guilty  of  such  conduct,  would  consent  a 
second  time.'  Here,  again,  we  see  how  little  Americans  know  of  ' 
popery  and  of  the  practices  of  priests  and  nuns.  The  fact  is,  Roman 
Catholic  laymen  know  almost  as  little  of  popery  as  Protestants. 
When  a  female  goes  to  the  confessional,  she  virtually  binds  herself 
to  answer  every  question  which  her  confessor  proposes,  and  that  the 
concealment  of  any  thought  or  deed  which  she  committed  was  a 
mortal  sin,  hateful  to  God,  and  deserving  of  an  eternal  hell. 

She  believes  that  the  priest  sits  in  the  confessional  as  God,  and 
is  divested  of  his  humanity  and  acts  not  as  man,  but  as  God.  Noth- 
ing, then,  is  easier,  if  he  has  the  least  fancy  for  the  penitent,  than 
to  act  his  pleasure  with  her.  There  have  been  instances — and  there 
are  now  thousands  of  them  in  Europe  and  in  this  land — where  a 
priest  tells  any  good-looking  woman  who  goes  to  confession  to  him, 
that  it  is  her  duty  *  *  *  "gg  j^q^-  startled,  American  hus- 
bands," says  William  Hogan.  "I  make  not  these  statements  to  hurt 
or  outrage  your  feelings.  I  make  it  in  an  earnest  desire  for  you,  to 
prevent  you,  if  possible,  from  permitting  your  wives  and  daughters 
to  go  in  future  to  these  dens  of  vice  called  confessionals."  (Popish 
Nunneries,  p.   65.) 


POPERY  SHOWN  UP  TO  AMEEICANS.  147 

Who  heeds  this  warning?  A  few  years  since,  the  world  was 
horrified  by  revelations  made  concerning  the  internal  workings  of 
several  European  convents.  Germany  refused  to  permit  any  reli- 
gious establishment  to  exist,  except  it  should  be  inspected  four  times 
a  year  by  the  government  inspector^  who  went  alone,  visited  every 
cell  and  every  part  of  the  establishment,  and,  if  persons  were  con- 
fined there  that  desired  their  liberty,  they  were  brought  out,  and 
there  was  none  to  say  to  them  nay.  The  convents,  compelled  to 
submit  to  this,  or  disband,  preferred  this  latter  course,  afraid  of 
the  light,  and  remained  closed  until  Bismarck  submitted  to  the 
Pope,  and  now  they  are  again  opened.  Such  a  law  is  essential  for 
the  Church  establishments  in  the  New  World.  In  all  of  them  may 
be  some  one  wanting  the  light,  who  is  disgusted  with  the  sensualism 
of  the  priests,  and  who  desire  the  purity  of  a  home  and  the  free  life 
of   a  Christian  in  the  world. 

In  the  name  of  liberty,  in  the  name  of  humanity,  why  will  not 
the  American  people  awake  to  their  duty?  We  have  reached  the 
time  when  the  proposed  plans  of  the  Papacy  laid  down  in  the  long 
ago,  are  being  put  into  practice  and  pushed  with  determination  and 
power.  Lands  are  given  to  great  ecclesiastical  establishments,  free 
from  taxation.  Priests  and  nuns,  monks  and  lay  sisters,  abound. 
In  Europe  we  see  what  they  were  and  are.  Let  us  turn  over  a  leaf 
in  American  history,  and  read  their  biography  where,  it  was  our 
dream,  that  the  free  light  of  liberty  would  kill  out  the  superstitions 
of  papal  lands. 

Xote:  The  preceding  chapters  after  number  XIII,  are 
taken  from  the  work  of  Rev.  Dr.  Justin  D.  Fulton,  which  was 
submitted  to  Anthony  Comstock.  the  Cato,  of  America,  and 
o.  k'd.  bv  that  virtuous  citizen.  The  book  goes  bv  the  name  of 
"AMiv  Priests  Should  Wed." 


The  Roman 
Catholic  Hierarchy 


Pi  BOOK  WHICH  IS  THE  RESULT  OF 
YEf\RS  OF  STUDY 


By  Thos.  E,  Watson 


Contains  historical  data  sliowing  f/?e  evolu- 
tion of  tlie  Papacy,  and  its  adoption  of  Pagan 
ceremonies  and  rites. 

It  cites  Roman  Catholic  theological  authori- 
ties, whose  instructions  are  "not  fit  to  be  placed 
on  court  records,"  according  to  the  statement  of 
the  foreman  of  a  Georgia  Federal  Grand  Jury. 


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A  Brief  Survey 


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Watson's  Reply  to  Windle 


Showing  how,  under  Roman  CathoHcism, 
ignorance,  degradation  and  superstition  have 
always  flourished. 

History  cannot  be  denied,  and  history  is 
quoted  to  prove  the  charges  made. 

This  book  is  the  outcome  of  the  attack  made 
by  Windle  on  Mr.  Watson's  book,  "The  Roman 
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